Congratulations on christening: gifts and wishes

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Christening is not just a church sacrament, but a rite during which a person (regardless of age) has a guardian angel. It is believed that it is at this moment that a person is born spiritually. Therefore, the church recommends that a child be baptized as early as possible, on the eighth or fortieth day after birth. And at the end of the rite of baptism, many arrange a holiday, prepare refreshments, congratulations to the baptized and gifts.

First gifts and congratulations

It is customary to receive the very first gifts and congratulations on christening from your godparents. During the ceremony, the godfather gives the baby a pectoral cross. It is important here that it should not be very massive, since it is a symbol of faith in the Almighty, and not prosperity. Best of all, if the material from which it is made is silver.

From the side of the godmother, the first gifts are items of clothing: a bonnet, a diaper, a baptismal shirt. It is desirable that they be white. The fabric is chosenthis natural: cotton, linen or silk. Despite the fact that clothes cannot be worn after baptism, they keep them all their lives as a talisman.

When choosing congratulations on christening, it is necessary to focus on the spiritual side of the ceremony. The text must be sincere and from the heart. If you want to make any accompanying gift, then it can be a Bible for children, books about church customs or an icon depicting a saint who is the patron of a child.

The old tradition of giving a silver spoon for christening does not lose its relevance today. Since the church believes that excessive luxury and brilliance are not characteristic of an Orthodox person, such a gift will come in handy. It is considered moderately refined, modest and at the same time useful. The silver spoon may have a christening text engraved on the back. This will give the gift even more value and significance.

How to celebrate christening

The Church does not recommend christening noisily, therefore, the whole celebration should be organized in a warm home environment or in a room that can be considered as such. If the child is small, it is important that there are no strangers and noisy crowds there. The more modest, the better - such a rule should be followed in everything.

When congratulating a girl on her christening, it is worth considering her age. If this is a small child, then the wishes should be filled with faith in her bright future, spiritual he alth, obedience to adults. If she's already out of infancyage, then the congratulation should be more mentoring, open, so that the goddaughter feels support, participation and care from both godparents and parents.

How to congratulate a boy on baptism

To congratulate a boy on his christening, you do not need to look for any special words other than a wish for a girl. First of all, it is worth remembering that this is a celebration of the birth of the spiritual essence of a person in front of the church. He acquires the church name (which, as a rule, is slightly different from what is written on the birth certificate), his custodian. From time immemorial, the text of congratulations to a baptized boy contained the words of a wish for a heroic spirit, courage, loy alty, honesty and courage. For a boy, just like for a girl, the participation of godparents in his life is important, their readiness to provide all possible assistance, to develop spiritually and morally.

From the Heart

For those who do not like to memorize texts in verse or prose in advance, congratulations on christening said in their own words will be more appropriate. Since the godparents on this day acquire a spiritually related child for themselves, they become the main persons responsible for his upbringing, attitude to church traditions and rituals. Therefore, the words addressed in congratulations should begin: “Our dear son” or “Our daughter.” And everything said further should be perceived as if it were addressed to their own child.

For example, the text of congratulations on christeningmight look like this:

• On behalf of the godparents: “Our dear daughter! Today, on such a bright holiday, we wish you peace and tranquility, well-being and love of your relatives. May the Guardian Angel that appeared with you today be a faithful companion throughout your long, happy, interesting life. Today we have found a beautiful daughter and we will love and protect you as if we were our own, guide you on the right path and help you in any life situation.”
• On behalf of the parents: “Our son, our hero! You are our future support and support for family and loved ones. Congratulations on an important event in your life! Today you have become part of a large Orthodox family and have found your faithful helper, who is called the Guardian Angel. Remember, son, that you will pass any test in this life if you are true to your heart and respect your family. And your godparents and I will help you in everything.”