Christians have many rites that mark certain stages or transition in their lives. One of these rites is baptism when water is put on the forehead of the baby to symbolize the baby has joined the Church or becoming a Christian. Parents are free to choose whether they want to hold a grand celebration out of it, or just throwing a simple reception. In early times, baptism has to take place in moving water to symbolize the movement of the Holy Spirit in human life. Nowadays, baptism ceremony normally take place in the church with a priest leading the ritual.
Whether you are hosting the party or being a guest, you must know a thing or two about gifts-giving. As a host, you may wish to prepare thank-you gifts for all your guests. The gift does not necessarily have to be big and expensive; a small thoughtful present is equally appreciated too. As a guest, you may pick gift items that have religious connotations, in line with the baptism theme. Like baby showers, the host and guests must know the importance of gift giving as a sign of gratitude and well-wishes. Once you have decided on the type of ceremony you like to organize, you can proceed to do the necessary matters such as fixing the date, contacting the church and booking the venue for the reception. For a religious Baptism you will need to meet with your local clergyman to discuss the details of the ceremony. Decide where you want it held, be it at the church, your garden, home, hotel or another locale. Investigate the guidelines for the ceremony different Christian denominations have differing customs and rites; is it performed during a regular Sunday service or is it something that is done on a separate day and time that you need to schedule. You may even have to take special Baptism/Christening classes before the event. Usually you would also have to select Godparents for the child, these persons are normally friends which whom you feel can lead your child in his or her spiritual growth and are willing to commit themselves to this task. Traditionally, in many faiths, baby girls are given two Godmothers and one Godfather, and baby boys should have two Godfathers and one Godmother, but it's really up to the parents to decide how many they want. You will also want to take into consideration how the chosen Godparents may handle the responsibility of becoming your child's full-time guardian should the need arise.
Depending on the host's efficiency and planning skills, it may take between 2 weeks to one month of effective planning to ensure the baptism ceremony and reception goes well without any glitches. Invitation cards should be sent out to guests early, preferably a week or two weeks, so that they have sufficient time to make necessary decisions. This would also allow busy guests to conveniently arrange and squeeze your special occasion into their hectic schedules.
In a traditional Baptism/Christening your baby will wear a gown during the service. This gown would be a long white or cream in color, it is worn by both girls and boys. Your family may have a gown that has been passed to them from other generations, but always purchase a new one easily.
The actual service and act of baptizing would only last at most about 20 or 45 minutes, and then you may decide to hold a small reception afterwards. If you do plan to have a reception, you will need to decide where you're going to have it this is because you may need to book the venue in advance should you decide to use a restaurant or a hall.
Light foods like burgers, drumsticks, fries, salads and soups are delightful treats for guests at the baptism reception. It is appropriate for the host to serve soft drinks and non-alcoholic drinks to his guests at the reception. It is important not to go overboard with the foods and drinks if the host does not wish to blow his budget. Another easy way is to order foods from the catering companies. If the host wishes for their guests to contribute or bring their own food to share with the rest, he may do so and inform them earlier about it. This is to allow ample time for the guests to make preparations.
It is a good idea to prepare a small favor for your guests. These are akin to baby shower favors and can be any small gift or trinket that your guests can take home to remind them of the ceremony. The baptism favors can be given at the ceremony, the reception, or both. It is also a common practice to give a small gift to the godparents. Guest also normally hand out small gifts to the parents, these usually consist of religious items for the baby such as bibles and rosaries unlike baby shower gifts .Last but not least don't forget to send thank-you cards or letters to all your guests to show your appreciation for coming to your child's Baptism.
About the Author
Elizabeth Ellis is a leading expert in all personalized gifts and has written a number of articles related to baptism gifts, personalized photo mugs, baby shower favors and so on. Please visit peculiarstuffs.com to read her other highly regarded work on such details as baptism favors, baby gifts, photo mugs and so on.
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