The day when a person becomes a Christian is considered an important event that simply cannot be ignored.
They usually try to carry out such a ritual as the baptism of a child at a very early age, when a person has just been born, but someone comes to this a little later.
It is believed that after performing the rite of baptism, a person becomes clean from sins. And for Orthodox parents, it is important to perform the rite of baptism for their child in infancy in order to enlist the support of the angels.
Baptism ceremony
For such an event as the sacrament of baptism, people always prepare in advance, plan the celebration, and invite guests.
The rite of baptism cannot take place without godparents, who subsequently become mentors in matters of faith and in any other issues of life.
Since ancient times, it has been the custom that a child’s mother and father cannot be godparents. But these should be the closest people who sacredly observe Christian traditions.
They are supposed to give the child a gift in honor of this event. Even if the person is still small, gifts from godparents will symbolize their reverent attitude towards their godson.
Other guests - relatives and friends - also give gifts. Therefore, you should find out what they give for christenings.
Responsibilities of a godfather after baptism
The responsibilities of the godparent after baptism must be determined and brought to the attention of the godparents before the ceremony. They can be divided into three groups:
- One of the main actions that a godfather needs to do is pray, but not all godparents cope with this. You can pray not only in church, including submitting notes, but also at home. There are special prayers for godchildren. When the child grows up, you need to explain to him the meaning of prayers, teach him the simplest prayers.
- To explain what the godfather should do, it is necessary to turn to the doctrinal function - he must not only theoretically talk about Orthodoxy, but also introduce the godson into spiritual life practically - attend church, participate in the sacraments. Godparents should show the benefits of this by their example.
- Moral and educational function: godchildren should learn only good things from their successors - they should tell them what moral standards are, teach them how to apply them in life, and distinguish good from evil. When considering what a godmother should do, it should be noted that she should always be ready to give advice to her goddaughter, the same goes for the godfather and his godson. Previously, they were asked for their blessing on choosing a life path, on choosing a life partner.
The duties of godparents are now simplified to rare meetings and gift-giving. The recipients need to remember the day of the godson's baptism and remind him of this himself if he has forgotten. Weak connections between godparents and godchildren negatively affect not only the spiritual life of the godson, but also, in general, his entire life, when he does not know what to do in a given situation. It is better for godparents to prepare in advance to fulfill their duties in order to make the lives of future godchildren happier.
*Baptism is a good deed that any Orthodox person should strive for. There is a lot of evil in the world and you can protect a child from it, including through the prayers of godparents.
What gifts can godparents give?
Many people are interested in the question of what godparents give at christenings. Of course, you can give godparents a pectoral cross, which a person can keep for the rest of his life.
Usually the cross is given by the godfather. It is not at all necessary that it be made of gold or other noble metal, the main thing is that it is presented with warmth.
Even if it is a wooden cross, it will carry blessed warmth. If a chain is given to a cross, it should be stored separately. At first, the child will wear a cross on a string.
Christening robe
Considering that after baptism a person should begin a new life, he needs to be given new things. This could be clothes, a towel, a shirt. It’s even better to make clothes with your own hands, because a piece of your soul is put into such things, which means they will be the most valuable.
Kryzhma
To perform the baptism ceremony for a child, you will need a piece of fabric or a towel called a kryzhma. After immersing the child in holy water, he is dried with this cloth. After that, she stays with him for the rest of her life. Kryzhma should be stored in a secret place; it can no longer be used or washed.
In ancient times, such things were made by hand. The person who embroidered a piece of fabric always read a special prayer before doing so. If you wish, it will not be difficult to embroider on towels and fabric.
But today everything can be purchased. It is necessary to choose a soft fabric with no protruding seams or decorative elements. After all, a baby's skin is delicate and can be easily injured. Such towels usually depict church symbols - crosses, angels and other attributes.
Spiritual books
Godparents are charged with the responsibility of maintaining faith throughout their lives, so they can give their godson the Bible, the Psalter and various spiritual books. By reading these books, he will strengthen the spirit of a Christian in himself. A small child, of course, is given a children's Bible.
Icons
A good gift on the day of baptism would be an icon with the image of a saint, which will remind of the perfect rite of baptism. But you need to take into account that each icon has its own purpose, so it is better to consult with a priest which icon is best to purchase.
The measured icon will be an excellent gift. This icon is made to order and must match the size of the child. It depicts his patron - a saint born on the same day.
Lamps
It is believed that baptism is the victory of the light over the dark, so you can also purchase various light sources - lights, lamps, lamps.
Other gifts
A silver spoon will also be a great gift for a baby to start their first feeding with. The baby's name can be engraved on the spoon. Over time, such a thing can become a family heirloom and be passed on from generation to generation.
But it is necessary to choose this item correctly so that the child can use it comfortably. To do this, the spoon must have a round scoop and no notches on it. Silver must also be of the highest quality - 925.
Pouch for storing hair strands
Once upon a time, it was customary to cut off a lock of a child's hair and keep it for life. The child’s parents will also be pleased to observe this tradition.
Items that were given for baptism remain for life, so you should approach the choice of a gift responsibly.
Ideas for homemade gifts
If the children are still small, then their parents are responsible for congratulating the named mother. But it’s still better if they allow them to contribute by making a gift for their godmother with their own hands. After all, things created by children invariably look very touching. The child can be assigned:
Draw a postcard. Even a baby can cope with this task. Anyone can paint a sheet of paper. An older child can use the appliqué technique.
Make a keychain from polymer clay. Despite the fact that this material is considered quite easy to process, it is difficult for a child to create something worthy from it, other than a keychain. But he can easily make this accessory.
Collect a bouquet of sweets. Of course, a baby is unlikely to be able to create a serious bouquet. However, attaching candies to sticks and making a bunch of them should not be a problem.
Make a photo frame. The material can be cardboard, and the decor can be coffee beans, pasta, rhinestones, buttons, cereals. At the end of the work, the product must be carefully varnished.
Make a cool fridge magnet. To create it, you can use clay, cardboard or papier-mâché. You need to glue a small magnet to the back of the thing.
If you want to pleasantly surprise the birthday girl, choose a handmade gift for your godmother’s birthday. It will certainly stand out among store products.
Gifts from guests
Other guests, besides godparents, can also present something symbolic or memorable. On sale today you can find a huge number of things, such as a box, photo frame, photo album, toys, etc.
You can also congratulate the child’s parents by giving him something beautiful, such as bed linen or a bedspread.
But if you want to give something memorable, then it is better to present an icon or a children's Bible with colorful pictures.
To ensure that your gift is appropriate and desirable, it is best to ask your parents what they would like most. Perhaps the child's parents need a high chair, playpen, inflatable pool or some other thing.
With the birth of a baby, parents have to purchase a variety of household appliances to maintain the baby’s hygiene. Guests can help their parents and buy something useful for them. This could be a humidifier, nanny radio, multicooker, heater and other things.
The most desired gift for the child himself will, of course, be toys. Therefore, you can safely give a certificate for a certain amount of money to Detsky Mir.
Parents can also be shown a sign of attention by presenting them with something tasty - a cake, a basket of sweets or a collectible bottle of Cahors.
The mother of the child will be pleased to receive a bouquet of beautiful flowers. But on such a bright holiday, it is better to choose flowers that are not too bright and fragrant. The bouquet should look sweet and gentle.
Of course, such a holiday should remain in memory, so it would be better to capture it on a video camera. Therefore, you can order the services of a photographer and videographer. This will be a wonderful gift.
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.
What to give a girl
The closest relatives—grandmothers and grandfathers—are often interested in what they give to a girl for christening. They can purchase something valuable in honor of such an event.
The little girl will grow up after a while and she will probably want to decorate herself with earrings. Beautiful, gold earrings will be an excellent gift for her. If desired, even a very little girl can have her ears pierced. Today, many beauty salons offer this service, and it is completely painless.
A little girl will love a beautiful doll to play with as a child. For a girl’s christening, you can present the most beautiful doll, custom-made by a master. Subsequently, it will be possible to put on baptismal clothes and leave it as a good memory.
Another memorable gift could be a gold or silver coin bearing the child's name, date of birth and baptism.
Guests can buy the girl a beautiful dress, like a real little princess. Even several sets of clothes will be welcome, because they will never be superfluous.
Other attributes - walkers, toys, soft rugs will be useful for a small child, because parents do not always have enough money for all this. But if the child has everything and wants to give something special, then you can buy a designer toy. And then not a single child will have such a toy, of course, it can become the most beloved.
What can relatives give as gifts for Christening?
Nephew from aunt and uncle
A memorable gift for your nephew/niece will be silver souvenirs or even a whole silver or cupronickel silver set of spoons, forks, cups, and saucers. On the surface of the dishes you can order an engraving with the date of Epiphany, a prayer or a wish.
| For a girl, gold or silver earrings are suitable as a gift from her aunt and uncle, which the baby can wear both in childhood and when she grows up a little. It would be appropriate to give close relatives good children's bedding or some piece of children's furniture. As your child grows, he will appreciate and love a comfortable chair or table. The baby's parents will also be delighted with the beautiful clothes. This could be an elegant suit, a dress, knitted booties, a hat with a scarf. It is always appropriate to give toys to children. These can be either soft plush animals that babies love to sleep with, or educational games, such as puzzles, board games and books. |
Entertaining Orthodox games are presented in our online store; they develop thinking, fine motor skills, and teach how to overcome difficulties. The materials used for their production are exclusively natural and environmentally friendly: wood, thick cardboard, burlap. This game can be given to a child from 5 to 10 years old.
Original gifts from brother and sister
Older brothers and sisters may also want to give a gift to a younger family member on the occasion of Christening. Small magnets in the shape of angels, crib pendants, postcards, and painted gingerbread cookies with a church theme are good for this purpose. If the sister or brother is much older, they can make a memorable gift with their own hands.
Do invited guests give gifts for Epiphany?
A silver rattle will be a valuable gift from relatives and family friends. The product can be personalized or engraved with the words of prayer. Parents will keep the toy as a souvenir so that they can later tell their grown-up child about this special event.
An inexpensive, but original and memorable gift would be a miniature silver bell. Products with relief patterns, colored and black enamel look especially beautiful. The bell has long been considered a strong talisman, the ringing of which wards off evil spirits.
A Christening gift from guests may not have a thematic meaning, but it should be necessary and useful for the child and parents. The following are considered relevant:
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Gift options for a boy
Some items can be served for both girls and boys. But sometimes guests doubt and don’t know what they are giving the boy for his christening. If you want to choose a suitable gift for a boy, you can always choose from many options.
Close relatives who come to a boy's christening give something valuable. This could be a set of silverware, which includes spoons, forks, and cups. Silver items will also serve as a wonderful souvenir and forever remind you of this significant event.
A bank coin with an image of an angel, church, or cross is an excellent gift that matches the theme of the celebration.
Things made of silver will last a long time, there is no doubt about it. Wonderful toys are also made from this metal - cars and boats.
A personalized icon or pendant with the image of a guardian angel will remind you of this wonderful event throughout your life.
The tolokar car will entertain the baby; he will be interested in moving around in it, imagining that he is driving a car.
All the boys will be delighted with the electric car. Even dads will find it interesting to control the toy car using the remote control.
A pool with balls will be great entertainment and will develop the little person’s motor skills and strengthen the nervous system.
TOP possible gifts for the named mother
Below is a list of the most popular godmother gift ideas:
- small silver icon;
- handmade item;
- fashion accessory;
- items for collection;
- certificate for SPA salon services;
- a painting painted by a professional artist;
- handmade soap;
- a rare type of coffee or tea;
- unusual composition of sweets;
- silver cutlery.
Is it possible to give money
Some guests doubt whether their gift will really be useful. But giving just money seems not entirely tactful to them. However, there is nothing wrong with this. After all, with this money parents can buy what they really need.
There is no need to worry that the amount is small, it will still find useful use. After all, parents are unlikely to be pleased if the guest gave away all his funds or even went into debt.
The average amount is 3-5 thousand rubles, but it all depends on the region of residence and financial condition. Some may give more, some less. The money can be placed in a beautiful envelope with church symbols and given to parents at a christening.
Baptism does not always occur in infancy. Some people accept faith already in adulthood. It is also customary for adults to give gifts.
Do you need a cake for a girl's christening?
The presence or absence of a cake at the baby’s christening depends only on the personal wishes of the family. The Church does not forbid the celebration of the sacrament after it has taken place. There is nothing wrong with celebrating such a significant event with your loved ones.
However, it is important to remember that the ritual does not cancel fasting, and therefore it is necessary to take this into account. Perhaps you should not schedule the sacrament for the most strict periods of fasting, so as not to have to postpone the celebration indefinitely.
It is best if the cake is prepared by the girl’s mother or grandmother, who will make it with love. Of course, the baby will not be able to appreciate the culinary abilities of his family, but those invited will enjoy the treat with pleasure.
