Since ancient times, there has been a tradition in Rus' to give children a divine blessing. If you are also wondering whether to baptize your child, read on. Baptism is not a mandatory procedure, but the majority of believers answer this question positively, believing that introducing the offspring to the church and finding godparents will protect them from various misfortunes in the future. Let's discuss the subtleties of this sacrament.
Is it possible to baptize a child during church holidays?
As for the time of baptism, there are no restrictions here either. If you are wondering whether it is possible to baptize a child on Trinity, then the answer is yes. There is only one caveat - it is a church holiday, there are a lot of people, it will be difficult for the baby, so we recommend refraining from carrying out this procedure.
Is it possible to baptize a child during Lent? Allowed, but please note that the holiday menu for guests should be prepared with this in mind. Sometimes it happens that a newborn is weak, in this situation parents often rush to give him heavenly protection as soon as possible. It is permissible to conduct the ceremony right in the hospital. But later, when your son gets better, you should go to church with him.
Is it possible to baptize on a memorial (parental) Saturday?
Such a day falls just before Trinity.
On this day they usually visit the temple, light candles for the repose of their deceased ancestors, remember their mentors, spiritual parents and pray. This day is also suitable for christenings. But are parents ready to perform the ceremony this Saturday? As in the case of performing a ritual during Lent, it is very important how exactly people relate to this sacrament itself.
If you are ready to be content with a simple lunch, no frills, no festivities, then of course you can perform the ritual today. But if you view christening as a cheerful, long-awaited celebration where you want to laugh, joke, and drink, then it is better to postpone the ceremony. Since, after all, a memorial day is not a time for noisy feasts and celebrations.
It will be especially awkward if one of the invited guests does not behave as a Christian believer should on this day or begins to express a somewhat distorted opinion regarding baptism on parental Saturday.
Is it possible to baptize a child without godparents?
It happens that parents cannot find worthy people and wonder whether it is possible to baptize a child without godparents. In this case, keep in mind that there may be only one such person - a boy needs a father, a girl needs a mother. The presence of the other parent is not necessary.
If you cannot decide on even one person, ask the priest - he himself can take this post or suggest one of the devout parishioners. But we do not recommend this option. The son needs godparents to help him find the true path and develop spiritually, and only a loved one can do this. It is curious that it is allowed to have several godchildren at once; the church does not impose any restrictions.
Choosing a Church
In this case, the parents of the newborn rely on their personal opinion - they can choose the temple that they like, which they usually visit, or simply the one whose location relative to the house suits them most.
Baptism ceremony at home
An option for baptism at home is possible. However, this is usually carried out in case of serious illness of the baby.
Preparing for baptism
Work as a courier at Yandex.Eda (up to 3,400 rubles per shift) leave a request →
Before holding a newborn baptism ceremony, it is worth resolving some issues. Parents should decide who to take as godparents, choose the temple in which the sacrament will be performed, as well as the day. They themselves, or in agreement with the future godfather and mother, need to purchase a pectoral cross, a robe (shirt, etc.) and a towel for the baby.
In advance, parents should come to the chosen church to talk with the priest and discuss all the details. It is likely that the priest, as tradition says, will advise future godparents to confess, take communion and fast three days before baptism.
Is it possible to baptize a child while pregnant?
Is it possible for a pregnant woman to baptize her child? This is a question that interests all women with pregnant friends. There is an opinion that such a lady should not be made a godmother, since she can take away the energy of the newborn. In fact, there are no prohibitions, but in this state it is not recommended to carry out the baptism ceremony. You need to understand that a woman will have to hold the baby in her arms for a long time, which is very difficult. She will have to stand all this time, and the church can be stuffy. It is better to take care of your health and postpone the action for a certain period.
Baptism on holidays
Previously, baptism was timed to coincide with church holidays - Easter, Epiphany, Trinity, the Nativity of Christ, Palm Resurrection and others. The sacrament is allowed to be performed on any holiday, but you need to understand that a lot of parishioners visit the temple these days. The child may not be comfortable among a large and noisy crowd. And as noted earlier, the priest may not have enough time to perform the baptismal ceremony. Therefore, if you still decide to perform the sacrament during the holidays, you must visit the church in advance and make an agreement with the priest.
Baptism of a child is usually carried out on the 8th day of life
What to do if parents have different faiths?
Sometimes it happens that the father and mother are adherents of different religions. Is it possible to baptize a child in this case? The Orthodox Church makes no claims. It is important that the mother and father agree among themselves what their offspring will believe.
If there are several unbaptized children, and you want to introduce them all to the faith at once, this is possible. This happens relatively often, and priests even approve of this approach; a joint ceremony makes people much closer. The main requests here are to the godparents.
Memorial days according to the Orthodox calendar
Next follow the Parental Saturdays of Lent, there are three of them:
The second week of Lent is March 14.
The third week of Lent is March 21.
The fourth week of Lent is March 28.
The fourth memorial day of this year is Radonitsa, the 9th day after Easter, Tuesday of Thomas Week this year on April 28 .
The fifth memorial day is the Day of Remembrance of all those who died during the Great Patriotic War - May 9 .
The sixth memorial day is Ecumenical Trinity Parental Saturday - the Saturday before the Feast of the Holy Trinity - June 6 .
The seventh memorial day in the 2022 calendar is the Day of Remembrance of Orthodox Soldiers killed on the battlefield for the Faith, Tsar and Fatherland - September 11 .
The eighth and last memorial day of 2022 is Dimitrievskaya Parent Saturday - November 7 . Dedicated to the memory of those who fell in the battle on the Kulikovo field.
Two parental Saturdays: Trinity and Meat Saturday are called ecumenical because they are celebrated by Orthodox Christians all over the world.
All other memorial days are called private. Except, of course, for parental Saturdays of Great Lent. Private memorial days are associated with the history of Russia and are celebrated only by the Russian Orthodox Church.
What is required for baptism?
This procedure requires four things. The main thing is a cross, which is bought in a church shop. Godparents should do this. After the sacrament, it is recommended to keep this item next to the baby. It is better to wear it not on a chain, but on a string, so as not to rub the skin. Buy something more beautiful when he grows up. The godparents purchase an icon of the heavenly patron. Buy a white shirt. They are allowed to bring any, but the church already offers ready-made ones. The last item is a clean towel that is used to dry the baby. In the future, it acquires special properties - it will alleviate the condition if the godson gets sick.
Back Next
Christening
Can a girl be the first to baptize a girl? They say that if you baptize a girl first, and not a boy, then the godmother will give her her happiness... This statement is a superstition that has no basis either in the Holy Scriptures or in church canons and traditions. And happiness, if it is deserved before God, cannot escape a person.
Another strange thought: Is it possible for a pregnant woman to become a godmother? Would this somehow affect her own child or godson? Of course you can. Such a misconception has nothing to do with church canons and traditions and is also superstition.
A lot of superstitions are associated with the so-called crossing. Moreover, the reasons for such an insane action are sometimes very bizarre and even funny. But most of these justifications are of pagan and occult origin.
Here, for example, is one of the most common superstitions of occult origin: is it true that in order to remove the damage caused to a person, it is necessary to cross himself again, and keep the new name secret, so that new attempts at witchcraft do not work, because... do they cast spells specifically on the name? What kind of pagan obscurity must an Orthodox person reach in order to decide that baptism is a kind of magical ritual, a kind of antidote to corruption. An antidote to some vague substance, the definition of which no one even knows. What is this ghostly corruption? It is unlikely that any of those who are so afraid of her will be able to clearly answer this question. This is not surprising. Instead of looking for God in life and fulfilling His commandments, the “church” people with enviable zeal look for the mother of all evils in everything - corruption. And where does it come from?
But much more often the sources of these superstitions are figures in the occult sciences, i.e. fortune tellers, psychics, healers and other “dark” personalities. These tireless “generators” of newfangled occult terminology go to all sorts of tricks to seduce people. Ancestral curses, crowns of celibacy, karmic knots of destinies, transfers, love spells with lapels and other occult nonsense are used. Many fall for these parachurch tricks and run to the temple for re-baptism.
It’s worth saying a few words about the name, which “good people” advise changing. Surely everyone knows that a person is given a name in honor of one of the saints. And it is this saint who is our patron and intercessor for us before God. And, of course, I think that every Christian should call on his saint as often as possible and ask for his prayers before the throne of the Almighty. But what actually happens? Not only does a person neglect his name, but he also neglects his saint, after whom he is named. And instead of calling on his heavenly patron - his saint - for help in a moment of trouble or danger, he visits fortune tellers and psychics. An appropriate “reward” will follow for this.
Is it true that if at baptism the wax with cut hair sinks, then the life of the person being baptized will be short?
No, it's superstition. According to the laws of physics, wax cannot sink in water at all. This superstition has no basis in church canons and traditions. Baptism is a great sacrament and should be approached reverently and thoughtfully. It is sad to see people who have received the sacrament of baptism and continue to live their former sinful life.
Who to invite to become godparents
You can invite anyone you want to be your godparents, you just have to take into account that future godparents will only have a spiritual connection, that is, they should not be married and will not be bound by marriage in the future. Even his parents, even adopted ones, cannot baptize their child. Also, the proposed godparents should not be of other faiths or not at all baptized.
You should not invite complete strangers or people little known to you to become your child’s godparents. However, this condition does not apply to the priest, who has the right to take on the role of successor. Nowadays it is customary to invite both the godfather and the godmother, but you can limit yourself to one person, usually a woman for a girl, and a man for a boy. The godmother must not be under 13 years of age, and the godfather must not be 15.
