What should a godmother know about a boy’s christening?

The rite of baptism has long been considered one of the brightest days in a person’s life. It is at the moment of its implementation that he begins to be accompanied by his own Guardian Angel, who protects him from everything bad. It is not for nothing that they say that you should not throw away clothes and accessories used at the time of baptism, since subsequently putting them on during a severe illness can help the baby recover. To understand what to give a boy for christening, you need to take into account several nuances.

Gifts from godparents

Already in ancient times, godparents could not present the same gift. So, for example, the godfather was required to pay for the ceremony performed in the church and give a pectoral cross with a chain. Such things are still considered mandatory for someone who has agreed to become a godfather. Mandatory gifts from the godmother are:

• baptismal clothes;
• set of towels;
• an icon with the face of a saint, whose name the baby is named.

Godparents can also give such traditional gifts as:

• kryzhma;
• Holy Scripture (Bible);
• Psalter;
• measured icon (an image of the face of the saint whose name the baby is named, made to the child’s height);
• unusual lamps, silver candlesticks for candles purchased in the church;
• embroidered bags designed to store the first cut strands;
• Orthodox prayer books;
• a set of cutlery made of silver;
• coins with the face of saints, belonging to the investment class, made of precious metals;
• souvenir toys made of silver (trains, cars);
• books with parables, Orthodox fairy tales;
• a set of silver rattles;
• amulet;
• icons depicting Jesus Christ, St. Panteleimon, Nicholas the Wonderworker, which, according to legend, protect children from troubles and illnesses.

These items can be ordered and purchased in parishes of monasteries and churches. Well, given the fact that all future godparents must undergo an interview before the ceremony, they can consult with the priest, which at the moment is a mandatory, traditional gift.

Recommendations for choosing a baptism gift

What to give a boy for christening? According to surviving Orthodox customs, you cannot come to the Baptism ceremony of a child without a gift. These traditions have developed, first of all, based on the responsibilities that godparents take on. They play an important role in the ceremony.

Close relatives and friends try to choose a gift that will be useful in the future or for religious purposes.

Distant relatives and friends usually buy children's things, essentials and household items; here it is only a matter of imagination. Perhaps the most important rule when choosing a gift is that it should be safe for the baby!

For the godfather

According to tradition, godparents cannot give the same gift. The godfather must buy a cross for his spiritual son - a spiritual symbol of faith, which must first be consecrated. Previously, the godfather was entrusted with financial support of the ceremony; now it is enough to pay only for the baptism itself.

You can give a personalized icon if the godson’s birthday coincides with a church holiday, or a silver bell as a talisman against the evil eye and misfortunes.

For the godmother

The godmother's gift is prepared with love and attention. In addition to traditionally accepted gifts, you need to prepare the necessary things. The baptismal set, which the godmother usually buys, includes: a kryzhma, a baptismal suit or a shirt.

In addition, the godmother can buy booties, a cap or a beautiful bag for baptismal things. The godmother provides any assistance together with the godfather, both in the baptismal ceremony and in the future life of the son.

Popular gift ideas

When puzzling over what to give a boy for a christening, you should turn to popular ideas. These include:

• clothes (it is important to check the sizes with the child’s mother);
• sets for bathing in the bathroom (it is worth asking your parents in advance what hygiene products they use, since babies are often allergic to certain products);
• walkers;
• blanket for the crib;
• a soft double-sided blanket (there are workshops that knit such items to order, embroidering a short protective prayer along their edge);
• bath sets (cocoon towel, allowing you to completely wrap your baby after taking a bath, bootie slippers, robe);
• children's digital photo frames;
• photo albums that allow you to record significant moments in your baby’s life by recording them and pasting in pictures.

A sign of attention to parents

Christening gifts should not only be given to the baby. After the baptism of their child, his father and mother should also be given a gift. For example, a bouquet or a basket of confectionery.

Parents can also help prepare for the holiday table. The godmother can prepare a festive table with the mother of the baptized person or buy sweets. For example, cake. It will always be appropriate.

The baby's parents will be happy to accept such a sweet gift.

Excellent gifts would be a Cahors horse, a fruit basket and a gift certificate to a store for children. Books that tell how parents can raise their son to become a righteous Christian will be received with gratitude.

You can give parents a miniature candlestick, spiritual films or a themed card.

What is customary to give at christenings?

Congratulating a boy on his christening is not so easy. The little man essentially doesn’t care, although many parents are sure that their kids notice and notice everything, despite the apparent lack of consciousness. There are a number of traditional gifts that will be useful not only for babies, but also for children of early and preschool age. These include:

• walkers;
• transformable high chairs for feeding;
• “swing” with an electronic panel;
• scops owl toys with a short prayer of protection embroidered along the outline;
• bedding sets;
• sleeping accessories such as pajamas, a sleeping cap, a blindfold (suitable for older children);
• Swedish wall bars (for children aged two years and older);
• "jumping ropes";
• Tolokars;
• sets of clothes, shoes (it is important to check with the parents in advance about the baby’s size);
• electronic wind-up musical toys;
• crib organizers;
• height meters.

Such surprises will be not only traditional, but also very useful. In any case, they will be useful to the baby, whose parents will definitely use them.

What do relatives and friends give?

Relatives and friends are traditional guests at christenings and, accordingly, also present gifts. They should not be as big as a christening gift from a godfather, but still good.

Large list of useful gifts

Guests should usually give the baby christening gifts such as:

1. A mug or spoon made of silver - utensils are always needed.
2. Festive set of clothes - it often happens that the child has nothing to wear.
3. Bright things with characters from your favorite cartoons - especially if the child already loves watching them.
4. A box of memories in which you can put photographs, small items, commemorative coins, toys.
5. Church paraphernalia is an important element of baptism.
6. An original postcard is good if it is made with your own hands.
7. Incense - to protect the child, hangs on the head of the crib.
8. A children's bicycle or scooter - a child will need to learn concentration in the future.
9. Fluffy white dress for girls.
10. A good suit for a boy - practical, comfortable, and can be grown into.
11. Toys: ball pool, educational games, large soft animals.
12. Designer toys - for example, wooden, marble figurines.
13. A soft chair-bed is an ottoman, made in bright colors.
14. A baby bouncer is a useful thing to keep the baby in the same room with the parents when the crib is difficult to move.
15. Electric car - a child will love this thing in the future.
16. An embroidered thematic picture - you can depict a prayer, portrait, or icon on it.
17. Crib bumpers - even if you already have them, spare ones never hurt.
18. Bedding is a useful thing for a long time.
19. A toy with a metric - information about when the child was born, with what weight and height should be embroidered on it.
20. Volumetric soft pillow letters are a beautiful and comfortable piece of furniture.
21. Cocoon for baby's sleep - children are more accustomed to being in a confined space, this will make it easier for them to fall asleep.
22. A circle for bathing a child is an excellent gift, because it is difficult to bathe a baby.
23. Household appliances - it is desirable that they are expensive and of high quality. These are good gifts for a child's christening.

Some people wonder if they give flowers for christenings. They can be presented to the godson's mother, as the main woman at the holiday. It is best if such a gift is an addition to the main gift. When answering the question of whether it is necessary to give flowers for baptism, you must remember that this is a pleasant present, but not obligatory.

Let's consider what to give to a child under one year old. The baby still understands little, so the gift should be useful in the family.

Uncles and aunts must figure out what to give their nephew on his christening day, but it is best if it is a good set of clothes or a new stroller, or, for example, a comfortable crib.

15 memorable gifts

A baptism is an important event that those present will remember for years to come. Video recording will help show the grown-up godson how everything happened. Such memorable gifts are extremely important.

At a holiday, you want the gift to be not only useful, but also memorable, for example, this:

1. Ritual items for baptism - they are not expensive, but parents will have to spend money to buy everything they need.
2. Self-sewn, hand-made items will always please.
3. A doll with a child’s birthmark is a beautiful, funny, interesting gift.
4. Children's Bible. The child will grow up and begin to study Orthodoxy. This book will help him, especially if it has colorful illustrations.
5. A kangaroo pouch is a useful gift for the mother of a godson.
6. A soft, cozy blanket is a warm, pleasant memory, always associated with comfort.
7. Baptism souvenirs - icons, figurines, pictures.
8. A prayer book - every person should have one.
9. Boxes, bags, cases for storing jewelry or other small items.
10. Photo session of a child with his parents - so that the memories will never be erased from memory.
11. A bell is a funny, cute, beautiful gift.
12. A souvenir candle will give the interior a festive mood.
13. Silverware is always appreciated and will be welcomed.
14. A kit for making a cast of a baby's foot is an unusual keepsake.
15. Earrings with engraving - this will be a surprise for a girl in the future.

5 Best Silver Toys and Souvenirs

These include:

1. Spoon.
2. The cross is an indispensable attribute of baptism.
3. Photo frame - silver is pleasing to the eye, and this item will be looked at often.
4. The icon will be stored for a long time.
5. An angel figurine is a beautiful souvenir.

10 gifts of spiritual content

These are the following things:

1. Bible.
2. Measuring icon.
3. Cross with chain.
4. Ladanka.
5. Icon icon.
6. Church candles.
7. A cap for visiting the temple.
8. Prayer book.
9. Baptismal clothes for baby.
10. Psalter.

How to congratulate your baby on his baptism in an original way?

To congratulate your baby on his baptism in an original way, it is enough to start from his age. The following gifts are suitable for little children:

• modules for a crib with cars;
• projector night lights;
• air mattresses, sofas;
• busy boards;
• swing;
• certificates for shopping in children's shopping centers;
• a subscription to classes in the pool with mom;
• diaper cake (if we are talking about a baby).

Older children will be pleased to receive the following gifts:

• designers;
• electric cars;
• bicycles;
• rollers;
• hoverboards;
• gel ant farm;
• trampolines;
• ice sled;
• sets for drawing, modeling;
• magnetic chalk boards;
• 3-D puzzles.

When choosing such gifts, you should consult with your parents, since the baby may already have them. It is best to discuss donated items with them, since who, if not them, knows better what the boy needs at a given period of his development.

Responsibilities of a godfather after Baptism

The responsibilities of the godfather, which he assumes in the Sacrament of Baptism, are very serious, so you must clearly understand what is required of you in the future.

The godfather is obliged to give spiritual education to his godson, bring to the child’s attention the main canons of the Orthodox faith, teach the child to resort to the saving sacraments of Confession and Communion, help parents in raising and caring for the godson, and bear responsibility for the upbringing and life of the child in the event that something will happen to his parents. But, of course, the main responsibility of the godfather is prayer for the godson.

The responsibilities of godparents also include guarding the godson from various temptations and sinful temptations, which pose a particular danger in childhood and adolescence. The godfather, knowing the character, talents and desires of the godson, can help him with the choice of education, future profession and even a spouse.

Remember that the fate of your godson will largely depend on how well you fulfill your duties as a godfather, so a frivolous attitude towards them is simply unacceptable.

Now you understand why you should not thoughtlessly agree to an invitation to become a godfather, especially if you already have a godson. Think about whether you have enough strength, patience, wisdom and love to cope with such a serious responsibility as the spiritual education of your child.

What do those invited to a boy’s christening give?

Having received an invitation to such a celebration, many begin to think about how to congratulate the baby.

Gifts from guests

Non-trivial and necessary gifts from guests will be:

• sets of clothes - it is not necessary that they are suitable for the child’s age. Such things can also be given for growth;
• rattle toys;
• baby monitor;
• knocking gurneys;
• sets of children's dishes;
• electric dryer for baby clothes;
• bottle sterilizer.

Surprises from grandparents

Christening day is special not only for the baby’s parents, but also for his closest relatives – grandparents. They can give their grandson things like:

• expensive icons;
• a chain of precious metals;
• a silver spoon and mug with a personal engraving;
• a valuable family item that is passed on by inheritance.

You can also ask parents what they currently need to care for their child. If we are talking about a newborn, perhaps the young mother and father have not yet had time to purchase a bathing slide, stroller or crib. Such gifts from grandparents will not only be memorable, but also very valuable and useful.

What is the best gift to give to relatives and family friends?

From relatives you can present your nephew with:

• playpen;
• bike;
• photographing for memory (it is important to discuss in advance with the parents whether they will agree to photograph the child at a young age).

Relatives and family friends do not have to rely on tradition when choosing a present for the baby. It is important that it is done with all your heart, and not just like that, then the benefits from it will be colossal. Many people wonder whether an envelope containing a certain amount of money would be appropriate. Perhaps this gift option in this particular case will be the most optimal.

Baptism of a child - rules for the godmother

The baptismal towel and clothes are made or purchased by the future godmother, and this is an obligatory stage of preparation for the upcoming sacrament. In addition, a woman must first receive communion and confession; on the day of christening, she must have a cross on her chest. There are other rules for baptizing a child in the Orthodox Church, which are important to include in the ritual.

Girl's christening - rules for the godmother

It is important for a girl to have a spiritual mother, since she is the first one, after the child’s mother and father, to be responsible for him. It is one thing to baptize a baby, and quite another to become a support, support, and spiritual mentor in life for a growing person. The responsibilities of the godmother at the baptism of a girl are as follows:

1. Before the sacrament begins, read the prayers for the child by heart, among them the “Creed.”
2. Wear a modest long dress for the christening and tie a scarf around your head.
3. Take your goddaughter in your arms after immersion in the font, dress her in white clothes.
4. Hold your goddaughter in your arms while passing around the font behind the priests, while reading prayers, and the procession of anointing.

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Boy's christening - rules for godmother

During the christening of a boy, an important role is played not only by the godmother, but also by the father, who in the future will provide him with spiritual support in everything. The main responsibilities of the godmother during the baptism of a boy are identical, as during the church ceremony of a girl. The only difference is this: after immersion in the font, the baby is picked up by the godfather; The priest also carries baptized boys behind the altar.

Prayer for the baptism of a child for godparents

During the procession, the priest leaves a reminder of what the godparents should do: say out loud three times the prayer “Creed”, “Our Father”, “Hail to the Virgin Mary”, “Heavenly King”, answer honestly several traditional questions about faith. Each prayer for godparents at baptism gives a powerful energy charge and helps the child receive grace.

What do you give a girl at christening?

What should the godmother do after the completion of the sacrament? Buy and present your godson or goddaughter with a memorable gift. This is where the problem arises with choosing a suitable present. So what does the godmother give to a girl’s christening?

• silver or gold cross;
• icon of God;
• personal icon of the Guardian Angel;
• silver spoon.

What does the godmother buy for a boy's christening?

For future men, there are also certain requirements for gifts. This one needs to know what is needed for a boy’s christening, so as not to be taken by surprise during the sacrament. Here's what a second mom should do:

• buy a white vest, blanket, towel;
• present a Bible, a personal icon as a gift;
• make another memorable present.

Is it worth giving money?

Nobody canceled such a gift for baptism. It can be presented when the person invited to the holiday knows little about the young family and simply does not know what they might need. And after presenting an envelope with an amount that on average can vary from 3,000 to 5,000 rubles, he will definitely be sure that he has not offended anyone.

In general, the decision on how much he will offer as a gift is determined by the donor himself. It all depends on his financial condition, social status, and the closeness of his relationship with his young family. You should not put your last money in an envelope or lend it, since baptism is a bright holiday and all gifts should be given with a pure heart and bright thoughts.

Top 10 Worst Christening Gifts

Gifts can be not only good, but also bad. An unsuccessful, inappropriate gift can be given out of ignorance. The following should not be given as a christening gift:

1. Alcohol. This holiday is a sacred process; nothing should distort it.
2. Cigars - similar to alcohol, should not be offered on the day of baptism.
3. Shoes are considered a bad omen.
4. The clock seems to be counting down the time until the death of the owner.
5. Weapons do not need to be given not only for baptism, but also for any other holidays, unless the person is a collector.
6. Cheap (for example, plastic) dishes - silver or high-quality ceramics are better.
7. Socks.
8. Cheap Chinese toys.
9. Boring books - if a child is being baptized, it is better to give educational, interesting publications. If an adult, then books by authors he likes.
10. Things that have already been used before should usually be given to the baby for baptism with new toys and clothes.

A bad gift can ruin the entire baptism celebration.
He will spoil the mood of his parents. Guests, seeing that they didn’t like the gift, will also be upset. If you don’t have the money for a good gift, you can simply make it yourself. And if a guest has a bad attitude towards the family, the godson and the entire sacrament of baptism, then he should not come. Reason 2019-01-14 admin

How to choose a present for an adult?

When adult men make the difficult decision to undergo baptism, they are not required to take godparents. However, being invited in such a role, godparents are obliged to congratulate the godson on finding a Guardian Angel. It also happens that in adolescence, after a “conference” with their parents, young men decide to be baptized.

At the baptism of a teenager, you can give traditional gifts, as well as buy something useful for the boy. Gadgets that will make his school life much easier will be useful. An excellent option would be a subscription to a computer club to learn the art of programming. Perhaps the young man is interested in sports, which means he will like home exercise equipment or new roller skates, skates, a skateboard, or a hoverboard.

An adult man who has been baptized can be presented with both church gifts and practical things that will serve his daily needs. Excellent options in such cases would be:

• organizers;
• beard care kits;
• certificate for a sightseeing tour of your hometown by helicopter;
• certificate for visiting a massage therapist;
• tickets to a concert of your favorite artist;
• household appliances that he needs daily (especially if we are talking about an unmarried man).

What you need to know about the ritual

Baptism is an important event in the life of a newly born child. At such a moment he joins the Church and becomes a Christian. The sacrament of baptism cleanses a person from original sin and allows God's grace to descend.

Age

According to church rules, a child is baptized on the 40th day after birth. At this age, the baby has not yet lost the intrauterine instinct to hold his breath in water and tolerates being immersed headlong in the baptismal font well. If it was not possible to baptize the child on the 40th day, you can perform the sacrament later.

The sooner a person is baptized, the sooner he comes under the protection of God. If a child was born weak and his life hangs by a thread, he can be baptized any day. To do this, you need to invite the priest to the hospital. True, instead of immersing the baby in water, they will simply sprinkle it with holy water.

How to choose a temple

If the parents are believers, they can baptize the child in the church where they attend services. When father and mother go to church only on holidays, they can go to the nearest parish and ask the priest to perform baptism. If for some reason parents do not like the clergyman, they can turn to any other temple. The main thing is that the church belongs to the Orthodox denomination.

When not to baptize

A child can be baptized on any day and in any month. True, each temple has its own rules. Before setting the day for christening, you need to go to the church and talk to the priest.

Price

According to church canons, the sacrament of baptism should be performed free of charge. However, this rule only applies if parents or godparents are experiencing financial difficulties and cannot pay for the ceremony. Each temple has its own price list, according to which payment is made for the services of the clergy. Typically a baptism costs $15-$50 (equivalent).

Conversation with the priest

Before the christening, parents and godparents need to talk with the priest. The conversation will help strengthen your faith. There is no need to prepare in any special way for a meeting with a clergyman.

The main thing is to simply attend the conversation.

Choice of godparents

According to established traditions, a child must have a godfather and a godmother. These people should not be spouses. Godparents are chosen from among friends or relatives. It is desirable that these are believers who observe all church rules and constantly attend church services.

Godparents can be a brother and sister, a grandmother or a grandfather. Foreigners, people of other faiths, parents themselves, a married couple, immoral, inadequate individuals will not be able to become a named father and mother.

Godparents are a kind of guarantors for raising a child. They must raise him as a Christian, teach him prayers, take him to first communion. Godparents must take care of the moral education of the godson, help him along the path of life, give instructions and advice.

How to thank your godparents?

All clergy say that when choosing godparents for their child, parents should be confident in these people. They become the closest to the baby, and if something happens to his family, they will be the ones who will have to take care of his bright future. For this reason, it is also customary to give gifts to the godparent and godfather after the ceremony at a family celebration, thereby thanking them for taking on such responsibility. Most often, it is customary to give godfathers:

• small icons, for example, travel icons;
• memorable souvenirs (pendants, chains, brooches, packed in church-themed boxes);
• figurines of angels;
• sets of personalized napkins, towels;
• keychains, pendants, and other souvenirs made of silver, with engraving reminiscent of such an important date;
• inexpensive household appliances (sandwich makers, juicers, blenders, coffee makers);
• sets of beautiful dishes;
• bedding sets.

Naturally, it is better to find out in advance what the godfathers will be happy about, especially if this is not a pair of lovers, but people who are far from each other. They will have to choose gifts taking into account their interests, wishes and hobbies.

Memo to Godparents “Answers to questions”

If the godson is already an adult and himself utters the words of renunciation, then the godparents present at the same time become guarantors before the Church of the fidelity of his words. Godparents are obliged to teach their godchildren to resort to the saving Sacraments of the Church, mainly confession and communion, they must give them knowledge about the meaning of worship, the features of the church calendar, the grace-filled power of miraculous icons and other shrines. Godparents must teach those received from the font to attend church services, fast, pray and observe other provisions of the church charter. But the main thing is that godparents should always pray for their godson. Obviously, strangers cannot be godparents, for example, some compassionate grandmother from the church, whom the parents persuaded to “hold” the baby at baptism. But you should also not take simply close people or relatives as godparents who do not meet the spiritual requirements that were set out above. Godparents should not become an object of personal gain for the parents of the person being baptized. The desire to become related to an advantageous person, for example, a boss, often guides parents when choosing godparents for a child. At the same time, forgetting about the true purpose of baptism, parents can deprive the child of a real godfather, and impose on him one who subsequently will not care at all about the spiritual education of the child, for which he himself will also answer before God. Unrepentant sinners and people leading an immoral lifestyle cannot become godparents. Some of the details of baptism include the following question: Is it possible for a woman to become a godmother on the days of monthly cleansing? What to do if this does happen? On such days, women should refrain from participating in church sacraments, which include baptism. But if this did happen, then it is necessary to repent of this in confession. Perhaps someone reading this article will become a godfather in the near future. Realizing the importance of the decision being made, they will be interested in: How can future godparents prepare for baptism? There are no special rules for preparing recipients for baptism. At some churches, special conversations are held, the purpose of which is usually to explain to a person all the provisions of the Orthodox faith regarding baptism and succession. If it is possible to attend such conversations, then it is necessary to do so, because... this is very useful for future godparents. If future godparents are sufficiently churched, constantly confess and receive communion, then attending such conversations will be quite a sufficient measure of preparation for them. If potential recipients themselves are not yet sufficiently churched, then good preparation for them will be not only the acquisition of the necessary knowledge about church life, but also the study of the Holy Scriptures, the basic rules of Christian piety, as well as three days of fasting, confession and communion before the sacrament of baptism. There are several other traditions regarding recipients. Usually the godfather takes upon himself the cost (if any) of the baptism itself and the purchase of a pectoral cross for his godson. The godmother buys a baptismal cross for the girl and also brings things necessary for baptism. Typically, a baptismal set includes a baptismal shirt, a sheet and a towel. But these traditions are not mandatory. Often, different regions and even individual churches have their own traditions, the implementation of which is strictly monitored by parishioners and even priests, although they do not have any dogmatic or canonical basis. Therefore, it is better to learn more about them in the temple in which the baptism will take place. Sometimes you hear a purely technical question related to baptism: What should godparents give for baptism (to the godson, to the godson's parents, to the priest)? This question does not lie in the spiritual realm, regulated by canonical rules and traditions. But I think that the gift should be useful and remind of the day of baptism. Useful gifts on the day of baptism could be icons, the Gospel, spiritual literature, prayer books, etc. In general, in church shops you can now find a lot of interesting and spiritually useful things, so purchasing a worthy gift should not be a big difficulty. A fairly common question asked by unchurched parents is the question: Can heterodox Christians or non-Orthodox Christians become godparents? It is quite obvious that they do not, for they will not be able to teach their godson the truths of the Orthodox faith. Not being members of the Orthodox Church, they cannot take part in church sacraments at all. Unfortunately, many parents do not ask about this in advance and, without any remorse, invite non-Orthodox and non-Orthodox people to be godparents to their children. At baptism, of course, no one talks about this. But then, having learned about the inadmissibility of what they had done, the parents came running to the temple, asking: What to do if this happened by mistake? Is baptism considered valid in this case? Is it necessary to baptize a child? First of all, such situations show the extreme irresponsibility of parents when choosing godparents for their child. Nevertheless, such cases are not uncommon, and they occur among unchurched people who do not live a church life. A clear answer to the question “what to do in this case?” It is impossible to give, because There is nothing like this in the church canons. This is not surprising, because canons and rules were written for members of the Orthodox Church, which cannot be said about heterodox and non-Orthodox people. Nevertheless, as an accomplished fact, baptism took place, and it cannot be called invalid. It is legal and valid, and the baptized person has become a full-fledged Orthodox Christian, because was baptized by an Orthodox priest in the name of the Holy Trinity. No rebaptism is required; there is no such concept at all in the Orthodox Church. A person is born physically once; he cannot repeat this again. Likewise, a person can only be born once for spiritual life, so there can be only one baptism. Let me make a small digression and tell the reader how I once had to witness a not very pleasant scene. A young married couple brought their newborn son to be baptized in the temple. The couple worked in a foreign company and invited one of their colleagues, a foreigner, Lutheran by religion, to become godfather. True, the godmother was supposed to be a girl of the Orthodox faith. Neither the parents nor the future godparents were distinguished by special knowledge in the field of Orthodox doctrine. The parents of the child received the news of the impossibility of having a Lutheran as their son’s godparents with hostility. They were asked to find another godfather or baptize the child with one godmother. But this proposal angered father and mother even more. The persistent desire to see this particular person as the recipient prevailed over the common sense of the parents and the priest had to refuse to baptize the child. Thus, the illiteracy of the parents became an obstacle to the baptism of their child. Thank God that such situations have never occurred in my priestly practice. An inquisitive reader may well assume that there may be some obstacles to accepting the sacrament of baptism. And he will be absolutely right. So: In what case can a priest refuse to baptize a person? Orthodox believe in the Trinity of God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The founder of the Christian faith was the Son - the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, a person who does not accept the Divinity of Christ and does not believe in the Holy Trinity cannot be an Orthodox Christian. Also, a person who denies the truths of the Orthodox faith cannot become an Orthodox Christian. The priest has the right to refuse baptism to a person if he is going to accept the sacrament as some kind of magical rite or has some kind of pagan belief regarding baptism itself. But this is a separate issue and I will touch on it later. A very common question about godparents is: Can spouses or those about to get married become godparents? The spiritual relationship established between recipients in the sacrament of baptism is higher than any other union, even marriage. Therefore, spouses cannot become godparents of one child. By doing this, they will cast doubt on the possibility of the continued existence of their marriage. But individually they may well be godparents to different children from the same family. Those planning to get married cannot become godparents, because Having become recipients, they will have a spiritual degree of kinship, which is higher than the physical one. They will have to end their relationship and limit themselves to only spiritual kinship. Unfortunately, many people do not know this. And from this ignorance sometimes completely undesirable consequences follow, such as the marriage of the recipients. So: What to do if a man and woman became godparents of one child and then got married? If this happened due to their ignorance of church canons, then it’s not so bad. It is worse if, knowing about the impossibility of their marriage, they nevertheless decided to get married, and at the wedding they did not tell the priest anything about their spiritual relationship. In any case, this issue can only be resolved by the highest church authority in the person of the ruling bishop. To do this, you must contact the diocesan administration with a corresponding petition addressed to the ruling bishop. The marriage will either be declared invalid or the spouses will be called to repentance for a sin committed in ignorance. There is also a slightly different situation when, out of ignorance, spouses become recipients. The question arises: What to do if, out of ignorance, spouses become recipients? The resolution of this issue is also under the jurisdiction of the diocesan bishop. In such a case, it is worth doing the same as in the case of married adoptees, i.e. contact the diocesan administration with a corresponding petition addressed to the bishop. Sometimes unchurched parents of children, wanting to choose godparents for their children, ask the following question: Can people living in a civil marriage become godparents? At first glance, this is a rather complex issue, but from the church point of view it is resolved unambiguously. Such a family cannot be called complete. And in general, prodigal cohabitation cannot be called a family. After all, in fact, people living in a so-called civil marriage live in fornication. This is a big problem in modern society. People who have been baptized in the Orthodox Church, at a minimum, who recognize themselves as Christians, for some unknown reason, refuse to legitimize their union not only before God (which is undoubtedly more important), but also before the state. There are countless excuses to hear. But, unfortunately, these people simply do not want to understand that they are looking for any excuses for themselves. For God, the desire to “get to know each other better” or “not wanting to stain your passport with unnecessary stamps” cannot be an excuse for fornication. In fact, people living in a “civil” marriage trample all Christian concepts about marriage and family. Christian marriage presupposes the responsibility of the spouses for each other. During the wedding, they become one whole, and not two different people who made a promise to henceforth live under the same roof. Marriage can be compared to two legs of one body. If one leg stumbles or breaks, won't the other one bear the entire weight of the body? And in a “civil” marriage, people don’t even want to take on the responsibility of putting a stamp in their passport. What then can we say about such irresponsible people who still want to be godparents? What good things can they teach a child? Is it possible that, having very shaky moral foundations, they will be able to set a good example for their godson? No way. Also, according to church canons, people leading an immoral life (“civil” marriage should be regarded as such) cannot be recipients of the baptismal font. And if these people finally decide to legitimize their relationship before God and the state, then they, especially, will not be able to be godparents to one child. Despite the apparent complexity of the question, there can be only one answer to it - unequivocally: no. The topic of gender relations is always very pressing in all areas of human life. It goes without saying that this results in various issues that are directly related to baptism. Here is one of them: Can a young man (or girl) become a godfather for his bride (groom)? In this case, they will have to terminate their relationship and limit themselves to only a spiritual connection, because... in the sacrament of baptism, one of them will become the godparent of the other. Can a son marry his own mother? Or should the daughter marry her own father? Quite obviously not. Of course, church canons cannot allow this to happen. Much more often than others there are questions about the possible adoption of close relatives. So: Can relatives become godparents? Grandfathers, grandmothers, uncles and aunts may well become godparents to their little relatives. There is no contradiction to this in church canons. But they should not be married to each other. Can an adoptive father (mother) become a godfather to an adopted child? According to Rule 53 of the VI Ecumenical Council, this is unacceptable. Based on the fact that a spiritual relationship is established between godparents and parents, the inquisitive reader may ask the following question: Can the child’s parents become godparents for the children of their godfathers (their children’s godparents)? Yes, this is completely acceptable. Such an action does not in any way violate the spiritual relationship established between parents and recipients, but only strengthens it. One of the parents, for example, the mother of a child, can become godmother to the daughter of one of the godfathers. And the father may well be the godfather of the son of another godfather or godfather. Other options are possible, but, in any case, spouses cannot become adopters of one child. Sometimes people ask the following question: Can a priest be a godfather (including the one who performs the sacrament of baptism)? Yes maybe.
In general, this question is very pressing. From time to time I hear requests to become a godfather from complete strangers. Parents bring their child to baptism. For some reason, there was no godfather for the child. They begin to ask to become the child’s godfather, motivating this request by the fact that they heard from someone that in the absence of a godfather, the priest must fulfill this role. We have to refuse and baptize with one godmother. A priest is a person like everyone else, and he may well refuse to strangers to be their child’s godfather. After all, he will have to bear responsibility for raising his godchild. But how can he do this if he sees this child for the first time and is completely unfamiliar with his parents? And, most likely, he will never see it again. Obviously this is impossible. But a priest (even if he himself will perform the sacrament of baptism) or, for example, a deacon (and the one who will serve with the priest at the sacrament of baptism) may well become recipients of the children of their friends, acquaintances or parishioners. There are no canonical obstacles to this. Continuing the theme of adoption, one cannot help but recall such a phenomenon as the desire of parents, for some, sometimes completely incomprehensible, reasons, to “adopt a godfather in absentia.”
Is it possible to take a godfather “in absentia”? The very meaning of succession involves the godfather accepting his godson from the font itself. By his presence, the godfather agrees to be the recipient of the baptized person and undertakes to raise him in the Orthodox faith. There is no way to do this in absentia. In the end, the person who is being tried to be “registered in absentia” as a godparent may not at all agree to this action and, as a result, the person being baptized may be left without a godparent at all. Sometimes you hear questions from parishioners about the following: How many times can a person become a godfather? In the Orthodox Church there is no clear canonical definition regarding how many times a person can become a godfather during his life. The main thing that a person agreeing to become a successor must remember is that this is a great responsibility for which he will have to answer before God. The measure of this responsibility determines how many times a person can take on succession. This measure is different for each person and, sooner or later, a person may have to abandon the new adoption. Is it possible to refuse to become a godfather? Wouldn't that be a sin? If a person feels internally unprepared or has serious fears that he will not be able to conscientiously fulfill the duties of a godparent, then he may well refuse the child’s parents (or the person being baptized, if this is an adult) to become their child’s godparent. There is no sin in this. This will be more honest towards the child, his parents and himself than, having taken responsibility for the spiritual upbringing of the child, not fulfilling his immediate responsibilities. Continuing this topic, I will give a few more questions that people usually ask regarding the number of possible godchildren. Can you become a godfather in the family in the family, if he had already been to him by the first? Yes, you can. There are no canonical obstacles to this. Is it possible for one person during baptism to be a recipient in several people (for example, in the twins) ? There are no canonical prohibitions. But technically it can be quite difficult if they baptize babies. The receiver will have to be kept and taken from the font of both babies at the same time. It will be better if every godson has their own godparents. After all, each of the baptized by separately is different people who have the right to their godfather. Probably, many will be interested in the following question: at what age can you become a recipient? Minor children cannot become godparents. But, even if a person has not yet reached adulthood, his age should be such when he can realize the severity of the responsibility taken, and will conscientiously fulfill his duties of the godmother. It seems that this can be an age close to adulthood. Relations between the parents of the child and the godfather also have an important role in raising children. It is good when parents and godparents have spiritual unity and all their efforts direct to the proper spiritual education of their child. But human relations are not always cloudless, and sometimes you have to hear the following question: what if you quarreled with the parents of the godson and for this reason you cannot see him? The answer suggests itself: to make peace with the parents of the godson. For what can people who have spiritual kinship and at the same time be in hostility with each other? It is worth thinking not about personal ambitions, but about raising a child and, having gained patience and humility, try to establish relations with the parents of the godson. The same can be advised to the parents of the child. But not always a quarrel is the reason that the godfather cannot see the godson for a long time. What to do if, for objective reasons, you have not seen your godson for years? I think that objective reasons are the physical removal of the godmother from the godson. This is possible if the parents moved to another city, the country with the child. In this case, it remains only to pray for the godson and, if possible, communicate with him with the help of all available means of communication. Unfortunately, some godparents, after the baby, completely forget about their immediate duties. Sometimes the reason for this is not only an elementary ignorance of the recipient of his duties, but his falling into the grave sins, which make their own spiritual life very difficult. Then the child’s parents involuntarily have a completely rightful question: is it possible to abandon the processions who do not fulfill their duties, who fell into grave sins or leading an immoral lifestyle? The Orthodox Church does not know the rank of refusal. But parents can find an adult who, not being an actual receiver from the font, would help in the spiritual education of the child. At the same time, it is impossible to consider it godfather. But having such an assistant is better than to even deprive the child of communication with a spiritual mentor and friend. After all, such a moment may come when a child begins to look for spiritual authority not only in the family, but also beyond. And at that moment, such an assistant would be very helpful. And as they grow older, the child can be taught to pray for the godfather. After all, the spiritual connection of the child with the person who accepted him from the font will not be broken if he assumes responsibility for a person who himself lost this responsibility. It happens that children surpass their parents and mentors in prayer and piety. The prayer for the sinker or lost will be a manifestation of love for this person. After all, it is not without reason that the Apostle Jacob says in his message to Christians: “Pray for each other to heal, there can be a lot of reinforced prayer of the righteous” (James 5, 16). But all these actions must be agreed with your confessor and get a blessing on them. And here is another interesting question, periodically asked by people: when there is no need for godfathers? There is always a need for godparents. Especially for children. But not every adult baptized boasts good knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and church canons. If necessary, an adult can be baptized without godfather, because He has a conscious faith in God and can independently pronounce the words of renunciation of Satan, be combined to Christ and read the symbol of faith. He completely gives the report to his actions. What cannot be said about babies and young children. For them, all this is done by the godparents. But, in case of extreme need, you can baptize a child without recipients. Such a need, undoubtedly, may be a complete absence of worthy godparents. The godless time left an imprint on the fate of many people. The result of this was that some people, after many years of unbelief, finally gained faith in God, but coming to the temple, did not know whether they were baptized in childhood by believers. A logical question arises: is it necessary to baptize a person who does not know for sure whether he was baptized in childhood? According to the 84th rule of the VI Ecumenical Council, such people need to be baptized in case, if there are no witnesses who could confirm or refute the fact of their baptism. In this case, the person is baptized, pronouncing the formula: "It is not baptized, the slave (slave) of God is baptized ...". Something I'm all about children and about children. Among readers, perhaps there are people who have not yet been given the saving sacrament of baptism, but with all their souls strive for him. So: what does a person who himself is preparing to become an Orthodox Christian needs to know? How can he prepare for the sacrament of baptism? The knowledge of a person about faith begins with the reading of the Holy Scriptures. Therefore, a person who wants to be baptized first of all needs to read the gospel. After reading the gospel, a person may have a certain number of questions requiring a competent answer. Such answers can be obtained on the so -called announcing conversations that are held in many temples. In such conversations, the foundations of the Orthodox faith are explained to the desire to accept baptism. If at the temple in which a person is going to be baptized, there are no such conversations, then you can ask all the questions of interest to the priest in the temple. It will also be useful to read some books explaining Christian dogmas, for example, the Law of God. It will be good if, before the adoption of the sacrament of baptism, a person learned a symbol of faith in which a briefly set out the Orthodox creation of God and the Church. This prayer will be read at baptism, and it would be fine if the baptized person confessed his faith. Direct preparation begins a few days before baptism. These days are special, so you should not scatter attention to other, even very important problems. It is worth devoting this time to spiritual and moral thoughts, avoid fuss, empty conversations, participation in various amusements. It must be remembered that baptism, like other sacraments, is great and holy. He must be approached with the greatest trepidation and reverence. It is advisable to follow the post for 2-3 days living in marriage the day before to refrain from marital relations at night. To be baptized, you need to be extremely clean and tidy. You can wear new elegant clothes. Women should not use cosmetics, as well as always, while visiting the temple. Many superstitions are associated with the sacrament of baptism, which I would also like to touch in this article. One of the most common superstitions is: can a girl be the first to baptize a girl? They say that if the first to baptize the girl, and not the boy, then the godmother will give her his happiness ... This statement is also a superstition, which has no reason in the Holy Scriptures, or in church canons and traditions. And happiness, if it is deserved before God, will not go anywhere from a person. Another strange thought that I have heard repeatedly heard: can a pregnant woman become a godmother? Will this somehow affect her own child or godson? Of course you can. Such a delusion is in no way connected with church canons and traditions and is also superstition. Participation in church sacraments can only be beneficial for the future mother. I also had to baptize pregnant women. Kids were born strong and healthy. A lot of superstitions are associated with the so -called intersection. Moreover, the reasons for such a crazy action sometimes indicate very bizarre and even funny. But most of these justifications are of pagan and occult origin. Here, for example, is one of the most common superstitions that have occult origin: whether it is necessary to cross the new attempts to not act in order to relieve the damage to a person in order to remove the damage to a person so that the new attempts of witchcraft do not act, because Sorpowed by the name? Honestly, hearing such statements, I want to laugh heartily. But, unfortunately, there is no laughing. To what pagan density should the Orthodox person need to decide that baptism is a certain magical ritual, a kind of antidote from damage. The antidote from a certain uncertain substance, the definition of which no one even knows. What is this ghostly damage? It is unlikely that one of those who is so afraid of her will be able to clearly answer this question. This is not surprising. Instead of looking for God in life and fulfilling His commandments, the “church” people with enviable zeal are looking for the mother of all evils in everything - damage. And where does it come from? I will allow myself a small lyrical digression. There is a man along the street, stumbled. All - jinxed! Urgently, run to the temple to put a candle so that everything is fine and the evil eye passes. While going to the temple, he stumbled again. Looks like they were not only jinxed, but also damaged the damage! Wow, unknown! Well, nothing, now I’ll come to the temple, I will pray, I will buy candles, I will stick all the candlesticks, I will fight all over the corruption. A man ran to the temple, stumbled again on a porch and fell. All - go to bed and die! Damage to death, a generic curse, and there is still some muck there, I forgot the name, but something is also very terrible. The cocktail "Three in one"! The prayer will not help against this candle, here is a serious matter, the spell of the ancient voodoo! There is only one way out - to be baptized again, and only with a new name, so that when these very voodoo seniorly whisper in the old name and the needles stuck into the dolls, all their spells flew by. They will not know the new name. And all witchcraft is made in the name, do you not know? There will be a fun when they whisper and conjure there hard, but everything will fly by! Batz, bam and - by! Eh, it’s good when there is baptism - a cure for all diseases! This is something like this, the superstitions associated with crossing appear. But more often the sources of these superstitions are the figures of the occult sciences, i.e. Gadalka, psychics, healers and other personality "gifted". These tireless “generators” of new -fashioned occult terminology go to all sorts of tricks for the seduction of man. The generic curses, and the crown of celibacy, and the karmic nodes of destinies, crossings, love spells with lapels and other occult nonsense are used. And all that needs to be done to get rid of all this is to cross. And damage as did not happen. And laughter and sin! But many peck these near -church tricks “Mother Glafir” and “Fathers of Tikhon”, and run to the temple for repeated baptism. It’s good if they say where they have such a hot desire to cross themselves, and they will be refused this blasphemy, having previously explained how the hiking to the occultists are fraught with. And some do not even say that they are already baptized and re -baptized. There are those who are baptized several times, because Previous baptisms "did not help." And they will not help! It is difficult to imagine more blasphemy over the sacrament. After all, the Lord knows the heart of man, knows about all his thoughts. It is worth saying a few words about the name that “good people” so advise to change. The name is called a person on the eighth day from birth, but since many do not know about it, mainly the prayer for the name of the name is read by the priest immediately before baptism. Surely everyone knows that the name is called a person in honor of any of the holy saints. And it is precisely this saint that is our patron saint and sing for us before God. And, of course, it is thought that every Christian should call his saint as often as possible and ask for his prayers to the throne of the Almighty. But what happens in reality? Not only does a person neglect his name, but also neglects his saints, in whose honor he is named. And instead of calling for the help of his heavenly patron - his saint at the time of trouble or danger, he is engaged in visiting fortune -tellers and psychics. The "reward" will follow the appropriate. There is another superstition directly related to the sacrament of baptism itself. Almost immediately behind the baptism, a rite of hair tonsure is followed. At the same time, the recipient is given a piece of wax, into which it is supposed to roll up the cut hair. This wax should be thrown into the water. This is what the most interesting begins. Not the news, where does the question come from: is it true that if the wax with the cut hair sinks at baptism, then the life of the baptized will be short -lived? No, this is superstition. According to the laws of physics, wax cannot drown in water at all. But if you throw it with a height with sufficient strength, then at the first moment it will really go under water. Fortunately, if a superstitious recipient does not see this moment and “fortune -telling on the baptismal wax” will give a positive result. But, it is worth a godfather to notice the moment of immersion of the wax in the water - there are immediately lamentations, and the newly -made Christian is almost buried alive. After that, it is sometimes difficult to remove from a state of terrible depression of the parents of the child, who is transmitted about the “sign of God”, seen on baptism. Of course, this superstition has no basis in church canons and traditions. Summing up, I would like to note that baptism is a great sacrament, and the approach to it should be revered and deliberate. It is regrettable to see people who have accepted the sacrament of baptism and continue to live the former sinful life. Baptizing, a person must remember that now he is an Orthodox Christian, a warrior of Christ, a member of the Church. This obliges a lot. First of all, to love. Love for God and neighbor. So let each of us, regardless of when he was baptized, fulfills these commandments. Then we can hope that the Lord will introduce us into the kingdom of heaven. That kingdom, the path into which the sacrament of baptism reveals to us !!!

How useful is it to give gifts to your baby that are not christening themed?

People who were not present in the church during the ceremony can present something useful for the young parents and baby. Among such presentations, the leading positions are occupied by the following ideas:

• gift baskets containing a selection of personal hygiene essentials;
• kits for creating casts of arms and legs;
• a diary for mom, which will be of interest to the child as he grows up;
• teethers (there are never too many of them);
• set of bottles and nipples;
• educational mats;
• thermal bags for storing bottles with pre-prepared mixture;
• a teeth cleaning kit designed for babies;
• booties-sneakers that come with a hat;
• educational books;
• rocking toys;
• fitball;
• baby car seat.

Typically, such gifts delight the parents, and over time, the growing boy. An option could also be a large toy car (for example, a dump truck), where you can put/plant the baby and roll him around, observing safety measures.

Souvenirs for godfathers and guests

Parents should give gifts to their recipients as a sign of gratitude. After all, they will guide their children in the future. They are usually given personalized napkins for baptismal candles and towels with inscriptions.

The day when the recipients decided to take care of the baptized person is important for all participants in the event, because it is filled with Christian motives. It is worth taking a photo that would remind you of this day. Parents can sign a shared photo and give it to their godfathers.

You can give warm clothes to your recipients. For example, a scarf or shawl is considered an excellent gift for a godmother, while a scarf or sweater should be given to a godfather.

A photo frame with a photo from the day of the sacrament will always be appropriate

How to make your christening congratulations memorable?

Whoever gives a gift always hopes that it will be pleasant and memorable. In order for this to happen, sometimes it is enough to decorate your gift in an unusual way, for example, in bright wrapping paper. It would be useful to offer assistance to young parents in organizing the holiday and decorating the room where the celebration will be held after the ceremony.

Naturally, we should not forget that we need to congratulate the child’s parents, in particular the mother. She will be especially pleased to receive a bouquet of beautiful flowers, as well as a “sweet” or “fruit” basket. It’s worth asking, of course, whether the young mother is breastfeeding, so that when decorating the basket you don’t put in something that she won’t be able to eat. When choosing a gift, it is important to take into account all the wishes of the baby’s parents, and also ask what other invitees will give. Otherwise, you can give two identical gifts, which will not be particularly pleasant.

Original homemade gifts

Handmade gifts are very pleasant for those for whom they are intended. The soul of the master is put into them, and therefore it is twice as pleasant and useful. If among the invitees there are those who know how to sew, embroider or knit, they can make a present themselves.

A thematic photo album will always come in handy, in which photos from the sacrament will be saved

Beautiful thematic embroidery will be received with special gratitude. Their patterns are sold in handicraft stores. There are also many of them on the Internet.

For example, you can make a cute angel. This gift will remind you of the guardian angel of the baptized person.