It is unlikely that this question will arise before you if you are already parishioners of some temple. If not, choose a temple to your liking. There is nothing wrong with visiting a few temples. If the employees are unfriendly and rude (this happens, yes), you can look for a temple where they will treat you kindly from the very beginning. Yes. We come to God in church, but there is no sin in choosing a church according to your liking. It’s good if the church has a separate baptismal room. It is usually warm, there are no drafts and there are no strangers. If there are few churches in your city and they all have large parishes, then be sure to find out in advance how many children usually attend baptism. It may turn out that a dozen babies will be baptized at the same time, each of whom will be accompanied by a whole team of relatives. If you don’t like such a mass gathering, you can agree on an individual baptism.
Baptism photography
If you decide to hire a photographer for the christening, be sure to find out in advance whether he will be allowed to take pictures and use a flash. Some priests have a very negative attitude towards filming the Sacraments and an unpleasant surprise may await you. As a rule, photography and video shooting are not prohibited anywhere. Photos from a baptism are a great joy for many years for the whole family, so if you can’t take pictures in a church, then you need to look for a church where you can take pictures (but even in Old Believer churches they allow you to take pictures at christenings). In some cases, a child can be baptized at home. The main thing is to agree on this with the priest.
What does a pectoral cross mean?
Photo: Oniks.ua
You need to understand that if a person talks about a pectoral cross, then it is clearly impossible to perceive it as a simple accessory. A pectoral cross is an element of symbolism that shows that a person belongs to a church and sincerely believes in God. It is this cross that helps Christians remember every day what sacrifice the Savior made for the salvation of mankind, strengthening them spiritually and fulfilling the commandments. Purely from the point of view of the Orthodox tradition, if a person is unbaptized, then he cannot wear a cross. Of course, the church cannot prohibit an unbeliever from wearing a cross, but this will not bring any benefit.
Godparents
Who can and cannot be a godfather is the most common question. Is it possible for a pregnant/unmarried/unbeliever/childless girl to baptize a girl, etc. - the number of variations is endless.
The answer is simple: the godfather must be a person
- Orthodox and church (HE is responsible for raising a child in the faith)
- not the child’s parent (godparents must replace the parents if something happens)
— a husband and wife cannot be godparents of the same child (or those who are going to get married).
- a monastic cannot be a godfather
ALL.
Contrary to popular belief, it is not at all necessary that there be two godparents. One thing is enough: women for girls and men for boys. You can read more about godparents, their rights and responsibilities, etc. here.
What if an unbaptized adult?
Today, the cross is present in many jewelry, both made of precious metals and costume jewelry. In this case, it turns from a symbol of faith into an empty trinket that is not capable of protecting a person. If an unbaptized person puts on such jewelry, then nothing bad will happen, although the clergy do not recommend using the item as decoration. In addition, a pectoral cross on the chest of an unbaptized person looks ridiculous, but in the Holy Scriptures there are no categorical prohibitions on wearing this attribute by non-believers.
Conversation before baptism
Now this is a must. For what? To baptize those who believe in Christ, and not those who come because “a child_is_sick_must_be_baptized_otherwise_they_will_jinx_and_we_are_Russian_and_Orthodox.”
You have to come to the conversation, this is not an exam. usually the priest talks about Christ, the Gospel, reminds that you need to read the Gospel yourself. It looks something like this.
Often the need for conversation causes indignation among relatives and many try to “get around” them. Someone, complaining about a lack of time, or even just desire, is looking for priests who can ignore this rule. But first of all, this information is needed by the godparents themselves, because by offering them to become your child’s godparents, you impose a great responsibility on them and it would be nice for them to know about it. If godparents do not want to spend time on this, then this is a reason for you to think about whether the child needs adoptive parents who cannot sacrifice just a couple of their evenings for him.
If the godparents live in another city and can only come on the day of the sacrament, then they can have conversations in any church that is convenient. Upon completion, they will be given a certificate with which they can participate in the sacrament anywhere.
It is very good for godparents, if they do not already know, to learn the Creed - this prayer is read three times during baptism and, it is likely that godparents will be asked to read it.
In what case can an unbeliever wear a cross?
Photo: Kp.ru
If we talk about cases in which an unbeliever is allowed to wear a pectoral cross, then this can only be one case - a person is about to be baptized. If a person has realized that the Lord is missing in his life, he has realized that he wants to become a Christian and is actively coming to church, preparing to receive the Sacrament of Baptism, then he is allowed to wear a cross. A person who sincerely believes in God will benefit from a pectoral cross and will help him always remember the sacrifice of Christ, which will allow him to refrain from sins.
If a person does not believe in God and wears a cross as an ordinary decoration, then this will not be useful for him, but for others, this will also not be entirely understandable. Before wearing a pectoral cross, an unbaptized person should think about why he needs it at all, maybe then he will understand that this item is not a simple decoration. A pectoral cross should only be worn by those who believe in Jesus Christ and want to follow God's law. It would be good if people took this recommendation seriously, but even if someone does not, no one can prohibit an unbaptized person from wearing a cross.
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Name
Find out in advance what name the child will be baptized. If the child’s name is not in the calendar, select one that sounds similar in advance (Alina - Elena, Zhanna - Anna, Alisa - Alexandra) and tell the priest about it. And sometimes names are given strangely. One of my friends Zhanna was baptized Eugenia. By the way, sometimes there are unexpected names in the calendar, say. Edward is such an Orthodox British saint (though later all the employees of the temple will not believe that there is such an Orthodox name). In church records and when performing other Sacraments, you will need to use the name given at baptism. Based on it, it will be determined when the child’s Angel Day is and who his heavenly patron is.
What happens if an unbaptized child wears a cross?
The cross itself does not have any supernatural power and is not able to protect the baby from evil and disease just because it hangs around the neck.
This is, first of all, a symbol of faith and belonging to the Orthodox religion. There are times when a baby cannot be baptized immediately after birth, and mothers put a cross on it, wanting to protect it from the evil eye and the influence of dark forces. In the event that there is a serious obstacle to the timely performance of the ceremony, the Orthodox Church does not prohibit the wearing of a cross by a child, especially if the parents are believers and constantly visit the Orthodox church and pray to the Lord.
However, if the father and mother themselves do not believe in the Lord and are not parishioners of the temple, then the cross on the neck of their unbaptized baby is nothing more than a tribute to fashion. This religious attribute will not bring any benefit to the child, but it will not harm either. The clergy do not prohibit its use, but they recommend performing a baptism ceremony for the child, because only in this case the baby will receive protection from the Almighty from evil and dark forces.
We arrived at the temple, what next?
At the church shop you will be asked to pay a donation for baptism. Before the sacrament, it is better to feed the baby so that he is more comfortable and calm.
Feed in the temple
IT IS POSSIBLE, it’s good to wear nursing clothes or have an apron with you. If you need privacy, you can ask one of the temple employees to find a secluded place. The only thing is that if the baby is feeding for a long time, it is better to have a bottle-sipper-syringe with food with you, so that it does not happen that the baby gets hungry in the middle of the service and you either have to wait half an hour until he eats or he will cry from hunger.
During the sacrament, the child is held in the arms of the godparents, the parents can only watch. The duration of Baptism is usually about an hour.
It is useful to familiarize yourself in advance with what will happen during the service in order to understand the meaning of what is happening. Here is a diagram of the service of Holy Baptism
But mothers are not allowed to be baptized everywhere—it’s better to clarify this question in advance.
The meaning of the cross in the life of an Orthodox Christian
The pectoral cross that all Orthodox Christians wear is not a talisman that can protect against all evil and troubles, but a symbol of a person’s faith. Therefore, it does not matter what metal it is made of and how much it costs. The symbol of the cross is the basis of all Christian doctrine and reminds people of the Savior’s sacrificial death on Mount Golgotha, which he voluntarily went to to save people from sins.
The idea of this religious attribute is that by wearing a cross every day, a person will remember the salvation given to him and will stop sinning.
Most people were baptized in infancy, and after that a pectoral cross consecrated by the priest was placed around their neck. However, babies do not have to wear it every day, as this can damage the baby's delicate skin. It is enough to hang this attribute in the children's room.
Cold water?
The water in the font is WARM. First, hot water is usually poured into it, and before the Sacrament it is diluted with cold water. but the water in the font is warm 
The temple employees who collect it will make sure that the water is warm - they don’t want the child to freeze just as much as you do. After immersion, it will not be possible to immediately dress the child, and here again it is worth mentioning that it is good to baptize very young children in separate rooms and not in the church itself, where it is cool even in summer. In any case, don’t worry, everything happens quickly and the child will not have time to freeze.
Why shouldn’t an unbaptized person wear a cross?
If we talk in more detail about why an unbaptized person should not wear a pectoral cross, then it is worth highlighting the following points:
- it will bring absolutely no benefit to a person;
- from the point of view of Orthodoxy, such a practice is considered blasphemy;
- for a person who does not believe in God and is not a Christian, there is no point in wearing symbols that are not related to Christianity.
A pectoral cross is not a simple decoration, so people who do not believe in God should clearly understand that they should not wear it.
Is it bad to wear a cross necklace if you are not a religious person?
There is an opinion that Christians and Catholics should wear cross necklaces simply as a symbol that they follow Christ. However, if you do not believe in Jesus, then perhaps you should refuse such decoration. It's not just some kind of aesthetic that anyone can claim.
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Regardless, whether to wear a cross necklace depends on how you want to present yourself to the world and what aligns with your values as a person. Part of this presentation has a lot to do with what you wear, be it clothing or jewelry.
With this in mind, take a moment and ask yourself if you are comfortable wearing a piece of jewelry that strongly identifies with a religious group, even if you don't share those beliefs?
You also need to ask yourself why you are going to wear a cross? Is it to hide who you really are, to avoid any possible confrontation from people close to you, or do you want to interact with Christians around you?
Also, consider whether you respect the beliefs of any religious people for whom the cross is more than just decoration.
The answers to these questions will help you understand whether you can cope with the judgment of people on the Internet, friends, and relatives who firmly believe that the cross is closely connected only with faith in Christ and nothing else.
