In the Christian faith, if you intend to raise your child as a Christian, the first step is to have your child baptized. This used to be a strict religious requirement, but while it is still taken seriously, people’s motivations are slightly different these days as it is also an excuse to get together with all your family and friends and celebrate. I love any excuse for a party and let’s face it, who doesn’t?
Depending on your church will depend on how strict they are about your attendance before and after the baptism. Some clergy like to see you attend regularly and others don’t mind as long as you attend church on big occasions. Some don’t even require that!
The fundamental thing about a baptism is to get the child to accept that he believes in Jesus and repents of his sins. These are the traditional requirements, but in recent years it has been questioned how a baby or young child can accept these things. Because of the seriousness of this promise, some people choose to have a blessing and let the child decide for himself when he is old enough.
Once you have decided what type of service you want, arrange everything with your vicar. They help personalize the ceremony and let you know what stipulations they have for when they would prefer to have the ceremony like at their big Sunday service. Some churches will want more information about the faith and baptism of the parents and godparents. Historically, a child’s godparents must be people with strong Christian beliefs and people you would trust to care for your child if something were to happen to them. More and more these days, people are chosen because they are close friends or relatives rather than being selected to be surrogate parents. Are they likely to be there for your child twenty years from now? It is a very serious consideration. In the past it has been traditional for a girl to have two godmothers and one godfather and for boys to have two godfathers and one godmother. These days you can choose what you want and how many you want.
When it comes to christening gowns, some people wear family heirloom gowns worn by all generations of that family. Some choose to buy a new one or one from a vintage store to start their own traditions. If the child is a little older when he is baptized, she wears an elegant but appropriate suit or dress for the occasion.
On the day, you must arrive with enough time before the service. The congregation is required to repeat the vows and then there will be a specific time for the baptism and for the godparents to make their declarations.
After the service, there is usually a small ‘tea’ where people can sit and celebrate, eat and drink. If people have brought cards and gifts, that is when they are delivered. Christening gifts have always been very old-fashioned until recently, when more modern and unusual gifts have become popular. Where people used to give ornamental silver rattles or money boxes, things like ‘baby blessing jars’ are now the thing to give. Each jar contains little heart-shaped pieces of paper for people to write down what they wish for the child in their life. It’s a great gift that won’t just shove in a box or in the back of a cupboard and will be cherished and enjoyed for many years to come.