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After the birth of a child, many parents wonder about his baptism, which is accepted in Orthodox faith. Baptism is a great holiday not only for the baby, but also for the whole family, as well as numerous relatives.

However, not all parents and godparents, due to their youth, are familiar with the details of this procedure. We propose to consider in detail the rite of baptism of a child, the rules for its conduct and the responsibilities of godparents. So, let's start an interesting conversation about a big holiday for a little person.

The essence of baptism

Baptism is sacred church sacrament, the essence of which is to transfer the grace of God to the child. That is, baptism does not involve any material or real burden, it is simply a gift.

During a child's baptism immersed in water. This symbolizes the inevitable death of a sinful life, which the baby renounced when undergoing the sacrament of baptism. The child’s emergence from the font speaks of resurrection as the infinity of life. A believer can take communion miraculous salvation, a perfect Savior, because he has already been washed away from original sin.

After completing the sacred ceremony small man becomes a member of the Church of Christ and undertakes to follow its commandments.

The best age for a child to be baptized

No rules say about the specific age of the baby. Often, Orthodox Christians perform the baptism ceremony for a child as soon as he reaches eight days from birth. The reasons why
parents decide to postpone the baptism of their child is due to the lack of firm faith and full awareness.

Some young mothers and fathers decide to postpone the ceremony until the child decides whether he wants it or not. It is important to know here that in this case hesitation can result in the harmful influence of the sinful world, because the soul of an unbaptized child is open to negative influence environment.

How to prepare for the baptism of a child?

Often, due to the busyness of the priest, it is necessary to take care in advance of the specific time and place of the sacrament. As a rule, most parishes have their own schedule indicating certain hours, in which it is possible to perform the baptism ceremony. Do not forget to coordinate the desired time with the priest.

Next, you should come with the child at the appointed time along with the godfather and mother. Parents choose them for their child. You must have with you pectoral cross for the baby and a special shirt for baptism. You will also need a napkin to wipe your child's face and two towels. The most important thing to take with you is an icon of the saint: it will symbolize the protection of the baby.

You should know that when performing a baptism ceremony, there is no need for a child’s birth certificate. Taking into account the age of the baby, godparents are required to prepare for baptism instead. These rules apply to children under 14 years of age.

Future godparent must take a course of public conversations, the number of which depends on the will of the abbot. In addition, the recipient needs to confess.

Also, mandatory rules for future spiritual mothers and fathers include, in addition to all conversations, renunciation of carnal pleasures, fasting for several days and knowing the Creed prayer by heart. In the same church where the baby will be baptized, confession and communion should take place.

Shopping for christening

The rules of baptism say that purchases for the sacred sacrament are made by godparents. Let's talk about the baptismal set, including a shirt and a cross. If we are talking about a boy, then the godfather buys him a cross. If it’s a girl, then she buys everything necessary for the ceremony, including a sheet. godmother. A sheet will be needed to wrap the baby after dipping into the font.

Remember that if you bought a pectoral cross in a simple store, you should consecrate it in the church in advance. Some parents prefer the cross to hang on a strong ribbon, while others prefer a strong chain.

Who to choose as godparents?

Very often, the closest relatives of the couple (for example, sisters-brothers, aunts-uncles) become godparents. The main condition is the faith of the chosen one. To others an important condition is that the future godparent must himself be
baptized, otherwise he does not have the right to take on such significant obligations.

The Church has established rules according to which there is a list of persons who cannot be invited to be the godfather or mother of a child. So, among the people who cannot be godparents are monks, young children, non-believers, unhealthy people ( we're talking about O mental state person), as well as immoral people. In addition, spouses are prohibited from being godparents of the same child. But there are cases when this was permitted by the bishop. Also, representatives of other movements cannot be recipients.

Responsibilities of godparents

The godparents of the baby must be fully aware of their purpose. After all, they are the ones who vouch for the baby before God. Their responsibilities include the child's guidance, beneficial influence and influence. It will be good if the godmothers, mom and dad, show interest in Orthodox culture, in particular to the significance and essence of baptism itself.

We recommend to all parents
discuss possible candidates with the priest. The same goes for you. If you have the honor of becoming a godfather, please consult with your priest before expressing your consent.

Many parents are interested in the question of whether it is possible to become a foster child in absentia.

The Church responds to this that with absentee adoption there is no close connection between the baby and the godparents. Believers sincerely believe that godparents are responsible to God for fulfilling their obligations to the baby.

Process of the Sacred Sacrament

The baptism ceremony consists of certain actions, and their strict sequence is very important. The first stage is the rite of announcement, during which the priest reads a prayer against Satan and gives a blessing to the baby. This is followed by the ritual “Three prohibitions against unclean spirits.” The priest drives the devil away and prays to God to drive out the evil one. The third stage is renunciation. Its essence is that future godparents renounce their entire sinful past and unrighteous lifestyle. This is followed by a confession of fidelity to the Son of God - here one of the godparents reads the “Creed” prayer for a crumb. Next comes the beginning of the sacrament of baptism itself:

The next stage is the rite of the sacrament of anointing. The father will anoint the baby with holy myrrh. Reading Holy Scripture– the procession around the font speaks of the joy of the Church at the birth of another member and includes joyful chants. During the procession, the godfather and mother must hold lit candles.

Rites of completion

The final rites of baptism are washing off the world and cutting the hair (a symbol of sacrifice, because the baby does not yet have anything else to give with joy to God).

The ritual of the sacrament is over - now the main thing remains to educate and instill in the child love for the Lord.

Differences between boy and girl baptism

There is a difference between performing a ceremony for a boy and a girl. We can note that it is quite insignificant. Let's take a closer look:

What's next?

The rite of the sacred sacrament of baptism is like the second birth of a baby, but no longer burdened with various sinful qualities. As a rule, parents love to organize a magnificent and memorable celebration in honor of the baptism of their child.

Love your child, give him your attention, care and participation!

The day on which the ritual takes place is called the Day of the Sacrament of Baptism. It is believed that on this day spirituality comes first and a person is born for the second time. An event in the life of every person is significant and important, understanding this, follows with special attention approach the organization of the ritual, both in church and at home. You will certainly have many questions about this as soon as you start preparing for the celebration. It would be great if the godparents, at least partially, took care of organizing the holiday, for example, talked with the priest and agreed on the day when the ceremony will take place. And in general, it is desirable that all close relatives participate in the preparation of the celebration. To make it clearer to you how important this day is, why everything happens according to certain rules, we will delve a little deeper into the history of the origin of the christening ritual.

The history of the rite of christening.

Despite the Bolsheviks’ rejection of religion and faith, the rite of christening existed during the years of Soviet power, and it has survived to this day. People, like many centuries ago, take their children to churches to perform the baptismal ceremony. This tradition dates back to the time of the apostles, as Orthodox believers say. In the days of the early Church, baptism and confession were closely related. A person was baptized when he joined the Church and left paganism. A person had to make a decision that meant that he was breaking with the past, which could be equated to the beginning of a new life.

The tradition of baptizing people infancy appeared in the Church for political reasons, and not for spiritual ones, by the beginning of the third century. But because of discrepancies with sound biblical teaching, the practice of compulsory baptism of newborn children did not become widespread until the sixth century. The rite of baptism was performed by immersion in water, which gave baptism a meaning different from sprinkling. Immersion in water with one's head is a symbol of burial, and emerging from the water is rising from the grave, resurrection from the dead. Thus, baptism meant death and resurrection. For the old sinful life a person died, but for the new grace he was reborn.

When a child is baptized necessary conditions were the faith of the parents and the presence of godparents. A child can have one godfather, but it is desirable that for a girl it is a woman, and for a boy it is a man. Godparents are guarantors before God for the godson and are responsible for him. They participate in raising the child, and it is believed that spiritual kinship is stronger than blood kinship. In former times, godparents had to raise the baby in the Orthodox faith and take him to church. Nowadays, godparents are usually chosen by family friends and they know little about their original responsibilities. Water has always had a special meaning; it was revered for its life-giving and cleansing properties. When a child is washed with water in a font, it is believed that it washes away dirt from his soul. After all, all of us, the descendants of Adam and Eve, are sinners from birth. Therefore, even very young children plunge into the font.

Basic rules for baptizing a child in the Orthodox Church.

Even before a person is born, his spiritual life begins. And the beginning of it, according to the Priests of the Russian Orthodox Church, is considered to be the wedding of parents. It is very important for a person if he was born in a married marriage. Many people believe that a pregnant woman should not attend church, much less be a godmother. This opinion is wrong. Quite the contrary, the expectant mother should go to church, pray and confess. After all, love for God has no limitations. And if a pregnant woman has expressed a desire to become a godmother, then there are no obstacles to this.

If we talk about the timing of baptism, then according to church regulations, a child must be baptized on the fortieth day after birth. But this is not a prerequisite. The ceremony can be performed earlier, but, as a rule, this is done later. The period of forty days can be explained logically: the child is still small and sleeps peacefully, he will cry a little after washing in the font and quickly falls asleep again.

When performing the rite of baptism, a lock of the baby’s hair is cut off, which symbolizes sacrifice to God, that is, the person gives him not only his thoughts and deeds, but also himself.

Can spouses be godparents for a child?

When a mother takes her child in her arms for the first time, she should shower him with her pectoral cross and read a prayer for a happy resolution from the burden. Then you need to think about the day of baptism. To do this, you need to go to the temple and talk with the priest. If the baby is sick, then the baptism ceremony can be performed at home. It is very important to choose worthy godparents. Nowadays, many strive to choose them for reasons of material well-being, so that godparents can give their godson rich gifts. And few understand that the responsibility of the godmother and father, first of all, is the spiritual education of the child.

When an adult is baptized, the presence of godparents in his life is not necessary, but for a child the best option There will be a baptism with two godparents, but it is possible with one. A boy's godfather must be a man, and a girl's godfather must be a woman. However, godparents should not be married couple, or people who have intimate relationships. Today the great Sacrament is performed according to a simplified version. They invite a videographer to record every moment of the ceremony, although the clergy do not particularly object to this.

A mother can enter the church forty days after giving birth.

A woman has the right to enter the temple only on the fortieth day after giving birth, and after a special cleansing prayer has been read over her. In the old days, a child was baptized earlier, on the eighth day, so there was a tradition of going to church without a mother. Church rules quite strict towards appearance women. To attend church, a woman must be dressed so that her elbows and knees are covered and her head is covered. A woman cannot go to church in trousers and during " critical days" There are no such strict requirements for men; they only need to remove their headdress before entering the church.

Gifts from godparents.

The traditions of christenings that have developed over centuries and modern additions to them should make the day of the Sacrament of Baptism bright and unforgettable not only for parents, but also for the child, if he is of a conscious age. It is customary that godparents give gifts to their godson on this day. In the old days, this could be an icon of his patron saint, which in height corresponded to the height of the baby, and it was called a life-size one. Now there is no need to buy such an icon; you can purchase a small image of the saint. The godfather must bear all the costs of the ceremony, as well as give the godson a gift - a chain and a cross. Godmother gives a towel and a baptismal robe. Gifts such as earrings, silver spoons, rings, etc. would also be appropriate.

Folk signs associated with christenings.

After the ceremony is performed in the church, as a rule, this event is celebrated in the circle of relatives and friends. There are signs among the people that you should pay attention to. To protect a child from life’s troubles and misfortunes, he is given two names: one at birth, and the second at baptism.

Of interest is a way to save a child from illness. When he is unwell, a girl is called by the name of a boy, and a boy is temporarily called by the name of a girl.

Giving a child the name of a holy queen or prince at baptism means goodness, success and health. And if they give the name of a holy martyr, then this Bad sign, since parents thus doom their child to suffering, and the share of his saint.

The main manager at the christening should be the grandmother. Previously, it was a woman who helped bathe the mother or was the first to bathe the baby. Today, as a rule, this role is assigned to grandmothers. They lead the holiday.

For christenings, it is customary to prepare a special porridge in a pot, and guests must bargain for it, but they must get it godfather. The proceeds are given to the baby's mother, and the godfather carefully breaks the pot on the corner of the table and each guest must take a handful of porridge from there. The women present at the table take the leftover porridge for their children.

On festive table, set in honor of christening, you cannot put pancakes, this can bring misfortune to the child. The main dishes on such a table should be porridge, borscht and pies with various fillings.

Special etiquette is christening etiquette.

Each person is assigned a Guardian Angel at baptism. Now we no longer remember this, but, nevertheless, our names are given in honor of some saint and have their own meaning. A person's Angel Day is considered to be the day of remembrance of his saint, celebrated by the church. If there is no name in the lists, then a name that is close in meaning is selected.

The day of baptism is determined by the parents in advance, so it is best to send postcards to those invited in advance or replace them with a telegram or phone call. Such an invitation should reflect the importance of this ceremony to you and its significance. Only those who take part in the ritual are invited to the temple; the rest can be invited home. Guests sit at the table, where they drink a hot drink: mulled wine or punch and eat a festive pie. The cake is usually made sweet and the date of christening and the initials of the child are written on it.

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Baptism is one of the most important sacraments christian church. This is an important rite of passage in a child’s life, which is even sometimes called the second birth of a baby. Baptism is a symbol that a person has been accepted into the ranks of the Church, that God’s grace has descended on him. Children were also baptized during the harsh Soviet regime. They did this, of course, secretly, so now even among people of advanced age it is difficult to meet a person who would know perfectly about all the rules of baptism. And, it must be said, there are a lot of them, and some of the nuances are quite difficult to understand. Young parents sooner or later think about how the baptism ceremony is carried out, what is needed for this, how to celebrate such an event, what to give for christening, who to invite, and so on. There are many questions, and in this article you will definitely find answers to most of them.

How to choose godparents?

The sacrament of baptism is an important step not only for the child’s parents, but also for his godparents.

After all, it is the godparents who will be responsible for spiritual development baby, and if something happens they will be obliged to replace his real parents. It is worth noting that there can be only one godparent. The main thing is to remember the rule: for a girl - a woman, for a boy - a man. A person who is a true believer, baptized, has the right to be a godparent, because it is he who is responsible for spiritual education child. The baby's parents and monastics cannot be godparents. If you decide to choose two godparents for your child, then it is worth considering that their roles cannot be husband and wife or bride and groom; A brother cannot become a godfather for a sister, and a sister cannot become a godfather for a brother. It is also important to know that you can refuse the duties of a godparent only in case of serious illness. If you have even the slightest doubt about the consent of potential godparents, then it is better to immediately exclude them from the list of candidates so as not to put yourself in an awkward position. The godmother should not be pregnant on the day of baptism and she should not have her period. If this is the case, then the godmother must notify the priest about this during confession. Both godparents are recommended to confess before the sacrament of baptism. As for the baptism of twins, it is not recommended to perform the sacrament for two babies on the same day, but they may have common godparents. By watching the following video, you will find out who can be a godparent to a child and who cannot. Archpriest Igor Rysenko, rector of St. Simeon's, tells cathedral, Chelyabinsk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_MoMF7NKg4

What things are needed during the sacrament of baptism?

Before the baby's baptism, future godparents should take care of purchasing several important things.

The responsibility for purchasing the christening shirt rests with the godmother.

You can just buy new clothes for your baby white, but there is perfect solution- come to the church shop and buy a special shirt there. Girls, in addition to a shirt, should also buy a cap. You also need a clean, white diaper, or, as they call it in church, a kryzhma. The child is wrapped in it after immersion in the font. You can also buy a cross for a baby in the church. It is desirable that it has a short ribbon. If the cross was purchased in a regular store, then it must be consecrated by making such a request to the priest. It is important to note that for Orthodox baptism A cross with a crucifix according to the Catholic model will not work, and vice versa. Another important item required during the sacrament of baptism is icon of the saint in whose honor the child is planned to be named. By the way, the temple often gives it as a gift.

What is the process of baptizing a child?

In accordance with church rules Parents are prohibited from being in the church during the sacrament. Now this rule is observed in few places, so not only the godparents, but also mom and dad need to know about the procedure for carrying out the baptism ceremony. It is better to arrive to the church early. Why? It's simple. Firstly, you can’t have the priest waiting for you, and secondly, you need to prepare yourself for this an important event, get comfortable in an unfamiliar environment, adapt to the circumstances. Only in this case will the sacrament of baptism take place peacefully and as calmly as possible. The ceremony begins with the godparents bringing the child into the church. If there are two godparents, then the boy should be held by a woman, and the girl by a man. The child is not dressed, but simply wrapped in a white diaper. By the way, the priest may ask you to put a diaper on the baby so that everyone feels calm and no unforeseen situations interfere with such an important ritual.

The task of the godparents during the sacrament is to repeat after the priest everything he says. In principle, you don’t need to memorize anything special; it’s enough to know the approximate procedure for everything to go smoothly. When all the right words are said, the water is blessed, the priest takes the child in his arms and immerses him in the font three times, while pronouncing special words. Many parents worry that their baby will catch a cold. Don't worry! The church ministers want your child to be healthy no less than you do, so they strictly follow all measures! The church is usually warm. If the ceremony is carried out in the cold season, a small room will be selected for baptism. And the water in the font is always warm, so the baby will be quite comfortable. It is worth knowing that during baptism another ritual is performed. It is called " anointing" This ritual is performed using myrrh oil. After it is carried out, the baby is given into the arms of a godparent of the same gender as the child, that is, a woman - a girl, a man - a boy. He wraps the child in kryzhma, and the priest puts a cross on the baby’s neck. Next, you can dress the child in a white robe, symbolizing spiritual purity. The ritual does not end there. The priest cuts a small strand of hair on each side of the child’s head.. This is a kind of sacrifice to God that the baby makes in gratitude for the cleansing of his soul. Final stage baptism - the child is carried around the font three times, symbolizing that he is now a new member of the Church. The priest brings the boy to the altar, and helps the girl bow before the icon of the Mother of God.

How is it customary to celebrate christenings?

Of course, the baby's parents will want to celebrate the christening. No rules prohibit doing this; the main thing is not to forget about the reason for the celebration.

Invited guests are received in the baby's home. You can set the table at your discretion, but you should definitely prepare dishes such as sweet pies, cookies. Previously, traditional sweet porridge With butter. Nowadays porridge is not a mandatory dish. It can be replaced, for example, tasty pie with apples or casserole with berries. From ancient times to our times, the custom has come down to serving a young dad a special porridge - with a high content of salt and pepper. Dad needs to eat at least a few spoons of this dish so that, as is commonly believed, he can experience at least part of the hardships that a woman experiences during childbirth. Required condition To set the table for a christening celebration, it means having a variety of sweets on it, because christenings are considered more of a children's holiday than an adult one.

What gift should I give for christening?

Majority traditional gifts christenings do not bring any benefit. They are simply symbolic. For example, the godfather gives his goddaughter or godson a silver spoon, and the godmother gives him a kryzhma and a baptismal shirt. If you are a godparent, then make sure that your gift is primarily beneficial and preferably forward-thinking. For example, you can give beautiful set silverware or open a small bank account for the baby. Ordinary guests usually give books, toys and clothes for the child.

Some nuances of the sacrament of baptism

If the baby is sick, a priest can be invited to perform the baptism ceremony in the hospital. If an accident happens, the baby is in intensive care, and no one is allowed to see him, then the ceremony can be performed independently. For this you will need a few drops blessed water. Consult a priest about the necessary words. He will definitely help you. Some parents wonder how much to pay for baptism? The ceremony should be carried out free of charge, but parents, at their discretion, can donate a certain amount of money to the church.

Have you decided to invite a photographer to your baptism ceremony? Then make a preliminary agreement with the priest about this. Some church ministers have a negative attitude towards photographing the sacrament. Most often, no one forbids taking photographs. Photos from the baptism will remain for a long time. Of course, there are temples in which photography is prohibited, but there are very few of them left. As a last resort You can perform the baptism ceremony at home. Just agree on this with the priest in advance. When choosing a temple for baptism, be guided by your preferences. Chat with the priest and the staff. No one argues that people come to God in church, but any discrepancies in communication can completely ruin the holiday. You can find the temple without even leaving your apartment. Most churches usually have a website with a phone number. Just call and find out about all the intricacies of the sacrament of baptism. Have you decided that your baby definitely needs to be baptized? Then start preparing for this ritual in advance! Be sure to think through every little detail and do everything possible to ensure that this special holiday went perfectly and will be remembered for a lifetime!

With the birth of a child, parents will have to decide many important issues about raising their baby. One of the most important questions for Orthodox parents is the question of when to baptize a newborn. The rite of baptism involves certain preparation, and how to properly organize a christening, read on.

At what age should the ceremony be performed?

Church ministers do not give an exact answer to the question of when it is better to baptize a newborn, because many people undergo baptism as adults. However, according to folk signs The child must be baptized before the age of 7. It is also believed that the baby should not be taken to the temple until the 40th day. This is due to the fact that the mother has not yet fully recovered after giving birth and cannot attend church at this time. But there are also urgent cases.

According to Archpriest Alexander Soyuzov, a child can be baptized from his first birthday. After all, before, if a child was born weak or premature and his life was in danger, the priest was invited to the house to perform the baptismal ceremony. There is a lot of evidence that after christening the child recovered faster and grew up to be a pious person, because the prayer of parents is the most powerful.

If your child is healthy and you want to baptize him in the temple, after the child turns 40 days old, you must choose any day to perform the ceremony.

It is believed that the sooner a newborn is baptized, the better, because after the ceremony he receives the protection and support that the Almighty gives us.

It is up to you to decide when it is best to baptize a child, but remember that the rite of baptism is a great and joyful sacrament that requires certain preparation.

Preparation for the ceremony

Before the sacrament of baptism takes place, parents need to resolve several organizational issues. Firstly, you need to go to church and get advice from the priest on how and when you can baptize a child. After explaining all the nuances of the ritual, the priest will assign you a day and time when you can baptize your newborn.