SoRaiseYourGlasses

Christening is the ceremony that welcomes a new child into God's family in the Christian faith, and the ceremony takes place in the church to which the parents and their child belong. The ceremony is also sometimes called Baptism, a term derived from the Greek word meaning to immerse. The Baptism or Christening ceremony itself originates from the work of John the Baptist, who brought people into the faith by washing them (symbolising the cleansing of their soul). Today's Christian churches differ in the type of ceremony they perform, some of them retaining the immersion of the child, and some just pouring water over the baby's head.

There are some rules of etiquette to follow with a Christening and we hope that this simple guide will help. The first step in preparing for a Christening, whether you are regular churchgoers or not, is to ensure that both yourselves and your newborn baby are registered with the church concerned. The process of Christening is to introduce the child into the Christian religion and so the church will expect you and your family to follow the religious principles that they teach. Many churches will ask that you attend some preparatory classes before a Baptism and these can often take place before the child is born, but are more common after the birth.

Churches have different arrangements for Christenings. Some have specific dates set aside for the ceremonies, and some are more flexible. Some take place during regular church services, and some will take place separately. It is not uncommon for several children of different families to be baptised at the same ceremony.

The Godparents

The duties and responsibilities of the Godparents are simple on the day, but they are taking on a significant responsibility, and it should not be undertaken lightly. The role of Godparent is one of spiritual and religious care, and so it is important that those chosen as Godparents are able to fulfill this role. Some churches will insist that at least one Godparent is already a practising member of the faith into which the child is being introduced, and also that any Godparent is at least 16 years old.

On the day of the ceremony itself, the role of the Godparent is to take part in the ceremony, and to take certain vows on behalf of the child for their future. The Godparents may also be asked to hold the child at certain times.

Dressing the Child for Baptism

The clothes that the child wears for their Christening are not laid down, but it is wise to ensure that a change of outer garments at least is available as the child's clothes may get wet during the ceremony. It is traditional for the child to wear a Christening gown, and sometimes a shawl, both sensible in the event that the child gets wetter then intended and needs to be wrapped up quickly so as not to get cold.

Attendees at the Christening

This is entirely at the choice of the parents, and will always include the Godparents, but will often include family and friends as well. The number of guests is clearly at the discretion of the parents, but it is traditional, and polite, to provide something to eat and drink for the guests after the ceremony, since many are likely to have travelled some way to be there.

Gifts

Whilst gifts are frequently bought for a child at their Christening, they are not compulsory or expected in most cases, and there is always the danger of duplication in the case of a large number of guests, so it is often best to consult with the parents before making a purchase. However, there are a large number of traditional and less formal gifts that are available for Christenings and so should you wish to buy a Christening Gift it shouldn't be too difficult to find something appropriate.

Whilst certainly not expected or traditional, it is becoming more common for the parents to buy a small gift for the Godparents as a thank you to them

Some traditional gifts include:

• Money
• Hairbrush
• Christening bracelet
• Photograph Album
• Keepsake Box