How to sew a baptismal towel with your own hands?
How to sew a baptismal towel with your own hands?

Video: How to sew a baptismal towel with your own hands?

Video: How to sew a baptismal towel with your own hands?
Video: Parts of a Circle - YouTube 2024, December
Anonim

The rite of baptism is a sacrament that every Orthodox person must go through. You need to prepare for it in advance. There are necessary attributes that must be present without fail: a pectoral cross, a baptismal towel, a candle and an icon. Not a single rite can do without them.

christening towel
christening towel

What is a christening towel for?

Baptismal towel (kryzhma, or riza) - a white diaper or cloth in which a child is wrapped after dipping into the font. It must be of light colors, as it means purity and steadfastness before God.

As a rule, the future godmother brings a baptismal towel to the temple and presents it as a gift. In modern society, it has become a tradition to buy kryzhma in a store. But earlier it was believed that it should be done by hand. Then the bright thoughts of the godmother also passed into her. Embroidery was a must. These were soft ornaments on religious themes (cross, angel, temple, and others).

The main condition was to sew a kryzhmait is the future godmother, not the mother. The people said that from a strong love for her child, a mother can jinx the baby. Therefore, she was not present in the church during the ceremony.

terry christening towel
terry christening towel

Choose the right fabric

If you decide to sew a baptismal towel with your own hands, first of all you need to choose the right fabric. The most common option is linen and cotton. These fabrics are practical, absorb moisture well, look great, and are easy to embroider a pattern on.

If the ceremony takes place in the cold season, it is advisable to opt for a mahr, and make a baptismal towel with a hood (a special pocket for the child's head). Such a kryzhma will absorb moisture well, the child will not freeze in it. The only caveat is that a terry baptismal towel will have to be decorated with additional elements. These can be special patches in the form of crosses, guardian angels and others. It will not be possible to embroider an ornament on such a fabric.

Atlas is also popular. When choosing it, you should know that it practically does not absorb water and has a cooling effect. A child in such a kryzhma, most likely, will freeze even in summer. If you really want a robe made of satin, you need to take care of the inner layer of cotton fabric.

The main rule when choosing a fabric for a baptismal towel is to consider the time of year. For the summer months, chintz, linen, cotton are ideal. For cold weather, terrycloth is suitable.

We sew kryzhma on our own

To sew a christening towelterry, you will need:

  • desired fabric;
  • meter;
  • ruler;
  • pencil;
  • sewing machine.

Now the main thing is to decide on the size. If the baby is a newborn, 75 x 75 cm will be enough, for adult children - 100 x 100 cm.

Cut out a square based on the above parameters. Don't forget to make an allowance on each side. One centimeter will be enough.

If you decide to make a christening towel with a corner, you need to round off on one side. A regular disc will do. Attach it to the roof and circle. Cut along the contour, baste the pre-made corner. Sew ribbon around the perimeter to hide the seams.

When making baptismal towels for boys, it is better to use blue corners. This kryzhma will stand out and look beautiful in photographs.

embroidered christening towels
embroidered christening towels

Decoration

When decorating baptismal towels, it is important to remember that they should contain discreet ecclesiastical ornaments, not be too gaudy or frilly. Recently, embroidered christening towels have been popular. As a rule, they are made with threads of gold or silver color.

If it is not possible to make embroidery, it is recommended to buy ready-made appliqués and patches, which are sold in hardware stores. They are attached quite simply, using a glue gun or a hot iron.

The fashion includes decoration with pearls, rhinestones, beads. But it is worth remembering the safety of the baby, which canswallow the bead. Therefore, it is better not to use such decoration.

christening towel with name
christening towel with name

Interesting facts

During the ceremony, the priest blesses the kryzhma, and after the child is taken out of the font, they are wrapped in it. There are several beliefs associated with the baptismal towel:

  1. It is not recommended to wash it. The fact is that during the rite of baptism, the priest smears myrrh on the forehead of the baby. This is done once in a lifetime. It is believed that droplets fall on the roof, so it has great power. It must be preserved throughout life.
  2. During the illness of the child, you need to wrap or cover with kryzhma. Many claim that it helps to cope with the disease. It cannot be used as a regular towel.
christening towels for boys
christening towels for boys

As a conclusion

When preparing for the rite of baptism, once again pay attention to important points:

  1. The size of the cap must be at least 75 x 75 cm.
  2. Choose only light shades. White is ideal.
  3. A baptismal towel with a name is a great gift from godparents.
  4. Before the ceremony, do not forget to wash the robe.
  5. After chrismation, it is not recommended to wash the kryzhma.
  6. The decoration of the christening towel should be dim, the ornament should not be sloppy.
  7. If you embroider the cross yourself, pay special attention to the fact that it is canonical.

The rite of baptism is a sacrament to be approachedresponsibly. Do not forget about the obligatory attributes: pectoral cross, kryzhma, candles, icon.

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