Celebration Of Faith
by Elizabeth Ellis
I barely remember any details on my own baptism, but my mother told me that I was named on the same day that I was baptized. It was a simple ceremony attended by relatives and close friends of my parents. And thus, I began my life as a Christian early in life. My parents organized a brief but meaningful ceremony for my baptism. There were no more that 20 people inside the church to celebrate that special occasion.
If you are organizing a baptism party for your baby, you may want to do some careful early planning to avoid possible hiccups in the event. Early planning involves making arrangements with the church, booking and confirming the venue, compiling and finalize guests list, preparing thank-you notes and gifts for all guests and the key people involved in the ceremony. If you are not sure whether you are doing the right thing, you may refer to an experienced person who had gone through the ceremony. If you have a bigger budget and do not wish to go through all the trouble, you may hire an event planner to organize the party for you. However, not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to splurge on such occasion, so in this kind of situation, a low-key event can be organized. With proper planning and clever ideas, even low-key celebrations can be equally wonderful and meaningful.
Godfather and godmother are essential elements in a baptism ceremony. Parents of the baby must choose godparents for their child. The decision can be made earlier and the godparents are informed about it. Normally parents would appoint one godmother and one godfather for their child. In other places, the arrangement may be different. The decision is entirely for the parents to make. Parents will need to inform the godparents about their decision. Normally parents would appoint their closest and most trusted friends as godparents to their baby. Godparents also bear the responsibility as guardians of the child. Parents may choose to hold the ceremony indoors or outdoors. Garden party on a sunny, pleasant day would be nice. Reception can also be held in hotels and private clubs.
If you are organizing any event and want to avoid any possible glitches, it is best that you plan everything early and that includes sending out invitation cards. One month to two weeks prior to the actual event date is the recommended period for sending out invitation cards. Guests are given enough time to decide and inform you whether they are able to attend the event or not. Early planning benefits both the host and the guests alike.
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.
After the solemn ritual ends, the baby's parents may hold a reception for their guests. This is a nice way of celebrating the occasion after some prayers and also good opportunity to get closely together with the guests. The host may choose to hold the reception at a restaurant, hall or at the privacy of the host's own home. If he chooses a public venue for the reception, he may have to make advance booking.
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.
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