Christening Ideas to Make
Your Baby's Day Special
Now that we've covered why christening is so important, let's move on to christening ideas regarding when, where, and how to plan your baby's special day.
When is the best time for a christening ceremony?
It is most common in christening tradition to perform the ceremony within a few months of the child's birth.
In Catholic christening tradition, the ceremony is usually part of Sunday Mass.
What will happen in the ceremony?
The child's outergarments and bonnet are removed. Then, as the godmother holds the child, the clergy dips his fingers in myrrh (blessed oil) and anoints the baby in the sign of a cross. Then the baby gets water sprinkled on his head, to signify spiritual cleansing.
Christening Ideas
To genuinely follow Christening tradition, the event should be an intimate gathering. Just as a man and woman can get married without a great deal of festivity, so can a child be christened. After all, both rituals represent deeply personal and intimate rites of passage in a family's life.
My husband and I were married in my parents' living room with only a few close friends and family members in attendance. With candlelight, the decorations my mother had lovingly done, and our favorite music (Pachelbel's Canon and Riverdance after the ceremony) we had the most beautiful, memorable wedding possible. I wouldn't have traded it for a big wedding for a million dollars.
Likewise, welcoming your baby into the world and receiving God's blessing on his or her life is a profoundly intimate moment. That is why a christening traditionally has been a small gathering.
Ideas about the location of the christening ceremony
According to christening traditions, the ceremony usually begins at the door of the church. Why? Because the door of the church signifies "old life", and the altar on which the baby is christened represents "new life".
For more christening ideas,
return to Fantasy Ireland's Christening Guide
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