Why can’t an unmarried girl be the first to baptize a girl?

Is it possible for a divorced woman to be the godmother of a girl?

There is a belief that a woman who divorces in the first three years of marriage cannot baptize a girl. Otherwise, the goddaughter will face constant disagreements with her parents and neglect of her elders in the future.

If a woman who has been married for more than four years becomes a godmother, then this is a harbinger of melancholy in the girl. Due to her constant sad mood, she will stand out greatly from her peers.

A woman who divorced due to infidelity cannot baptize a girl. Otherwise, in the future, the goddaughter will not be able to have serious relationships with men.

There is also a superstition according to which a woman cannot become a godmother to a girl if she remarried after the divorce.

In this case, every baptism anniversary for the girl will be full of troubles, which is why she will hate this day.

The opinion of the Orthodox Church

Priests claim that the answer to the question whether an unmarried girl can baptize a girl depends on the age of her goddaughter:

less than one year - then baptism will not affect anyone’s future life;
2-3 years - this event will affect the health of relatives;
4-7 years old - it is categorically not recommended to baptize an unmarried woman, because this will affect the girl’s outlook;
8-10 years – also not recommended, because in the future this will alienate the goddaughter from relatives and friends;
11-15 years old - you cannot take an unmarried woman as godparents because she will try to get into a relationship faster;
over 16 years old - you can choose a godmother from unmarried girls and not fear for the girl’s future.

The baptism of unmarried boys depends on the day of the week on which the sacrament will take place:

on Monday - promotion of one of the parents on the career ladder;
on Tuesday - the boy will become seriously interested in science;
on Wednesday - in the future he will meet a good person;
on Thursday - helps to rid the child of enemies;
on Friday - will lead to the beginning of a romantic relationship;
on Saturday - thanks to a good relationship with parents, he will be able to trust adults;
on Sunday - in the future he will find friendship for life.

The sacrament of baptism has many superstitions and signs. Being a godfather is a very important burden that not everyone can bear. Therefore, the selection of a candidate must be approached carefully.

Can a husband and wife be godparents to a child?

The desire to take a married couple as godparents appears when the parents have few friends and acquaintances, or they do not refuse to accept such responsibility, or the friends are far from a righteous lifestyle. In this case, you need to remember that according to church canons you can choose one godfather who will be the same gender as the child.

Spouses cannot be godparents of one child. But you can baptize different children in the same family. If you really want to become related in couples, the husband can baptize a boy, and the wife can baptize a girl.

If parents have individual questions regarding the reasons for the ban on husband and wife being godparents, they should contact the priest during the period of preparation for the ritual. Sometimes the question of choosing a married couple as adoptive parents is resolved positively (in the presence of exceptional circumstances).

Baptism is a Christian rite, around which there are many signs and superstitions. People believe that an unmarried girl should not be the first to baptize a girl. But why shouldn't this be done? And how does the Orthodox Church feel about this?

How to dress correctly for a christening

When going to a ritual, you need to know what to baptize with. There are church rules that require festive clothing for everyone present. Allowed:

skirt below the knees;
closed jacket with long sleeves;
a scarf covering the head.

You should not wear trousers, shorts, or a short skirt in church. Clothing must cover the neckline, back and arms. Men can be bareheaded in a shirt and trousers; women must wear a headscarf.

The color and pattern of outfits are not regulated, but for baptism it is advisable to choose something light, because this is a big holiday for the family.

How does the sacrament happen?

During the ritual, everyone must wear crosses. Church laws stipulate the sequence of the ceremony. When a girl is baptized, she is brought (brought) into the temple premises by her godfather, and after immersing herself in the font, she is received and dressed by her godmother. The baptism process is long and takes place in several stages:

Bringing a child into the temple by a godfather of the opposite sex.
Reading prohibitory prayers to renounce the child from evil. At this time, the baby is wrapped in a diaper.
Prayers against Satan, during which renunciation of him occurs. The priest asks the question about refusal three times, his godparents are responsible for the small child;
Combination to Christ and reading of the Creed by the godparents.
The receivers take the lit candles in their hands, and three more are placed on the font. The priest blesses the water and oil.
The priest dips the child in a font of cold water three times, after which a cross is put on.
During immersion, cleansing from sins and birth for spiritual life occurs.
The godmother takes the baby in her hands and wraps him in a baptismal towel, then dresses him.
The priest performs chrismation by applying oil to the cross on the child’s legs, arms, back, stomach and forehead.
The godparents and the child follow the priest around the font three times, at which time he reads prayers.
A small strand of hair is cut from the girl’s head and remains in the church, symbolizing the spiritual unity of the child with God.
The priest takes the child in his arms and places it next to the icon of the Mother of God. This means that the sacrament has been completed and the child has been churched.

Christening is a long procedure, taking from 40 minutes to an hour and a half. It also depends on whether one child is baptized or several.

A week after baptism, you must come to church for communion; the clergyman will tell you the exact date.

Choosing a church name

During the ceremony, the child receives a new name. As usual, it is chosen from those that are in tune with the worldly or are included in the lists of saints. If there is no match for the name recorded on the birth certificate, you should seek help from a priest. It will tell you which saint is venerated on the girl’s birthday or baptism; her name will become her second name. Will be used in church ceremonies. Thus, children have another holiday - the day of the heavenly intercessor (saint), whose name was given during baptism. The church name is not disclosed to outsiders so as not to weaken the baby’s protection.

Responsibilities of a godmother

A woman who agrees to become a godmother takes responsibility for the life and spiritual development of the girl. Her responsibilities include:

pray for your goddaughter, ask God for help for her in a difficult situation;
attend church together, confess and receive communion;
take part in spiritual education and development;
be a worthy role model;
talk about God, attend church together;
congratulate you on your birthday, give gifts on Angel's Day;
give instructions, help with advice and practical deeds;
adopt a girl if her parents have died.

Cost of baptism

Not everyone understands why pay for the ceremony, because Jesus commanded not to take money for baptism, so that poor people would not be excommunicated from the church due to lack of funds. But before there was a tradition of giving a tenth of income to the church and donating funds. Now there are fewer contributions, so ministers are forced to draw up a price list in order to be able to pay the costs of maintaining the temple. The cost depends on the chosen church.

There is no single price, so you can find out how much to pay only in the temple that is chosen to perform the sacrament. In churches, boxes are installed for collecting donations; the clergyman may say that there is no fee, but you have the right to put any feasible amount into it. The estimated cost of the ritual is from 1500, there is no upper limit. For him you will need a baptismal set, which includes: a white dress, a kryzhma and a scarf (cap).

Girl's christening: rules and signs

Baptism is an important event for a family. The church accepts a little girl into its fold. From now on, she is not alone, but always in the company of her personal Guardian Angel. How to do everything right, what rules and signs to follow at a girl’s christening?

This can best be explained in the temple that the parents chose for christening. Moreover, the details differ from temple to temple: what clothes are allowed to be worn, whether godparents can not receive communion in the last 10 days, and so on.

But they won’t tell you about signs in the temple; the Church is wary of them. The people, however, preserve them and pass them on from generation to generation.

Proper christening

The rite of baptism symbolizes a person’s joining to God, his renunciation of the forces of evil and the transfer of his soul under holy protection. Of course, you need to do everything right! There are not many strict rules, if not followed, no christenings will take place. But there are more than enough individual subtleties!

Church rules

The priest will explain everything, but it is better to be informed in advance.

For a girl's christening you will definitely need:

God-parents;
ready name;
cross;
baptismal dress and kryzhma.

Everything is the same as for a boy (but, of course, the name is a girl’s). Even the baptismal clothes for boys and girls are not very different: a white dress or a shirt with a minimum of decoration.

Godparents must be adults, capable, unmarried, of the same confession as the future goddaughter (Orthodox in the case of baptism into the Orthodox faith), people of strong moral principles.
The girl's name is chosen according to the calendar. Preference should be given to the saint who impressed with her deeds and virtues. The priest will have his own recommendations, and it is good luck not to argue with him about the name.
It is better to choose a silver cross for a girl. Definitely new and consecrated. Those sold in the church shop are already illuminated, while the store ones will be blessed immediately before baptism.
Kryzhma is a special diaper in which the baby is wrapped after the bath. As a rule, the godmother purchases it along with the dress. Special baptismal sets with kryzhma and clothes are sold.

For a girl's christening, special attention should be paid to the choice of godmother. She will serve as an example and spiritual mentor, support for her goddaughter.

Optional moments and rituals

Ask your parents how they baptized you? Are there any family traditions?

Besides:

It’s good if the godmother prepares the kryzhma, and the godfather prepares the cross.
Contrary to popular belief, it is possible for a pregnant woman to be a godmother, but it is difficult: in church you will have to stand for a long time and hold the child in your arms.
The baptismal water on the girl’s face should dry on its own - for good luck.
Let the baptismal dress be new, and not inherited from your sister. The same clothing supposedly strengthens relationships between children, but also promises illness for one child if another gets sick.
It is believed that a godmother’s first godson should not be a girl - otherwise there will be failures in her personal life. Some people adhere to this rule, others don’t, the consequences don’t happen all the time.

Signs familiar and unusual

On the day of such a big event, everything matters. You can try to predict the fate of the girl by carefully observing how the christening went, and also attract happiness with some rituals.

Common

If a child cries during a christening, this is a good sign.
The baptismal dress and kryzhma should be stored. If you wrap your child in them to sleep in the first days after baptism, he will be calm and peaceful.
It is not good if the priest drops objects and confuses words during the ceremony.
It is not customary to widely announce that a family is going to baptize a child. He will be under better protection if unnecessary people do not know when the ceremony will take place.
After church, it’s better not to go anywhere, but to go straight home. This way the Guardian Angel will remain strong.

Rare and interesting signs

If a girl is passed over the church fence and brought into the house after baptism through the window, she will be healthy. Bringing it in through the door means, on the contrary, weakening it.
Getting caught in the rain during a christening is a sign of joy.
A girl sneezing during a christening is not good.
It is necessary to count the money on the day of christening so that the child grows up in prosperity.
When the family has left for church, those remaining at home should not open the door to anyone until the relatives return with the baptized girl - so as not to let trouble in.
Knitting, sewing, or making preparations on christening day is a bad omen.
If several people are baptized in a church at the same time, and moreover, they have the same names, this is unfortunately.

Christening as a holiday

The ritual in the church is just the beginning. It is equally important to properly organize the feast after.

Fun doesn't have to be noisy. Otherwise, the girl’s life will be hectic.
Drinking alcohol for godparents is a bad sign.
Putting a cup of water on the window during a feast means providing your goddaughter with an easy life in this world.
In order for the girl to grow well, the godmother must take the gingerbread from the table, put it on a high shelf and announce: so that the goddaughter grows up so big!
You need to finish all the food on the plates so that the girl grows up beautiful.

Traditional dishes for christenings: sweet porridge with milk and butter, pastries, sweets. Pies, chicken dishes - with a bang. If there are more children, then it’s good to bake a cake. You can even design it in the form of a cross so that the purpose of the holiday is visible.

It is a very bad omen to serve pancakes at a christening. Pork is also not recommended.

What to give for a girl's christening according to signs

Ideally – icons, spiritual books and films. While the girl is little, she will not appreciate books, but later they will come in handy. Also traditional gifts are silver jewelry, spoons, and rattles.

This is from the godparents. Guests can give toys and beautiful clothes. It is a good sign if the gift doll is in the form of a child, and not an adult woman. The child does not like dolls - the signs do not object to toy books, paints and construction kits for girls; development is always a good foundation for a happy life.

A memorable gift - a set of elegant scarves and hats.

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Why can't the first girl be baptized?

Any church sacraments in the popular consciousness are associated with far-fetched and empty ancient thoughts, superstitions and prejudices that have no connection. The word “superstition” is formed by two parts: “vain” - “in vain” and “faith”, which means “vain belief”, “vain faith”, i.e. empty. It is extremely unwise to live by superstitions alone and attach great importance to them, especially when performing church sacraments. One of them is baptism - the beginning of the path of the immortal soul to eternal life, to God.

Why can't the first girl be baptized?

Various superstitions have come down to us regarding the choice of a godmother. For example, it is believed that pregnant women cannot baptize a child, otherwise their child may die without being born or will not live long after birth.

Many have heard such a superstition that unmarried girls and women were not called godparents for girls. Why can't the first girl be baptized by an unmarried girl? People have several answers to this question:

Unmarried women can “give” their happiness to their goddaughter.
To prevent the “crown of celibacy” from going to the goddaughter, only married people were chosen as godparents.

What does it mean to be a godmother?

“You can’t baptize the first girl for an unmarried girl!” - the folk sign categorically declares. Answer: it doesn’t matter what gender the child is, whether he is the first or the tenth. It is important to take the upcoming Sacrament responsibly. The baby does not yet and cannot have his own faith; the baby is baptized according to the faith of his or her successor. The girl gives God her word that she will bring this baby to Him. The spiritual mother becomes the guardian of faith and piety for the goddaughter. At the Last Judgment, godparents will answer for the sins of their godchildren, for the fact that they spent their lives outside the Church, outside the faith of Christ. That is, if the girl herself does not really believe or knows that the parents of the future goddaughter will not raise her in the Orthodox faith, it is better to refuse the offered role. You can baptize the daughter of unbelieving parents, provided that the godmother has the opportunity to take an active part in her upbringing, for example, a governess or a very close relative. A clear example: a believing girl baptizes a baby from the orphanage where she works, firmly knowing that raising her goddaughter will fall on her shoulders at least for the next few years. But in no case should children be baptized by people who are atheists, people of other faiths (Muslims, Buddhists, etc.) or unchurched (those who do not attend church services more often than once every few months and do not receive communion at least once a year ).

If you baptized a child together, you cannot marry

Is it possible for an unmarried girl to baptize a child? The girl is baptized by the godmother, the boy by the godfather. But at the same time, for a girl, both the father and the mother are often invited. Here an important condition arises, which can become an obstacle to the choice of a particular person for the role of godmother or godfather. It seems very sweet when a future couple seals their feelings by baptizing their baby together. This is what people who are ignorant of church canons often do. The fact is that the godparents, when performing the Sacrament, enter into a spiritual relationship. This is the obstacle. If the couple subsequently wishes to get married, they will be refused. It is forbidden to perform the Sacrament of Wedding on people who are in such a relationship, that is, who are the spiritual parents of the same baby.

Nowadays, such stories also happen: mom and dad get divorced, then dad wants to marry his godfather. Such marriages are also not blessed. Answer to the question: “Can unmarried girls have girls baptized?” next: it is possible if the girl is going to become a nun, has simply taken a vow of celibacy, and also if the godfather does not take part in the baptism or is not her likely groom.

Who can be chosen as godparents for a baby?

According to church canons, adherents of the Orthodox faith who have reached the age of majority can be recipients during the baptismal rite in the church. After all, godparents are a person’s spiritual mentors for life. They will have to answer for the godson before God and guide the child on the righteous path. And also all the sins of the ward fall on the conscience of the godparents until he turns 16 years old.

Therefore, mom and dad should choose godparents for their child based not only on their own considerations. It is necessary to comply with religious instructions, and they say that a child can be baptized:

Relatives of the child (aunt, uncle, grandfather, grandmother). Children over 14 years old are allowed to baptize a brother or sister.
Godmothers (people who chose you as a successor for their child). You can baptize each other's children.
Godparents of the firstborn.
The priest performing the ceremony or the psalm-reader (if it was not possible to choose a recipient in an area with a predominance of infidels or the person being baptized is in mortal danger).
A woman expecting a child.
An unmarried person with no children.

Blood parents must understand that they are choosing not just a participant in a church ceremony, but a person who will truly love their child and can be a mentor for him in the spiritual sphere throughout his life. Qualities required by the receiver:

developed sense of responsibility;
faith in God (commitment to the Orthodox religion);
conscious love for your child.

People with such qualities can be good godparents - it is their prayers for the godson that the Lord perceives in the first place.

The correct choice of a godfather is also important because it is done once for a lifetime. Subsequently, it is not possible to select another receiver.

If one of the godparents stumbles, the godson will have to pray for him and his return to the righteous path.

And also, the candidate must agree to follow all the rules of the baptismal rite, which for recipients are as follows:

Observance of three days of fasting before baptism, confession and communion during this period.
Putting an Orthodox cross on the body.
Appropriate appearance (especially for women). There should be no lipstick on your lips. The head must be covered. The skirt must cover the knees (trousers are excluded).

In addition, recipients need to meaningfully perceive the prayers “Our Father” and “Creed”, which are read during the ceremony.

It is believed that the baby can borrow the godmother’s share, therefore, for the role of successor you need to choose a woman who is happily married

Beliefs

But still, there are many terrible legends among the people that if the godmother did not have time to get married before the ceremony, she will give her family happiness to the child, and she herself will not become a happy wife. Allegedly, this is why it is necessary to invite a married woman who already has a wonderful life and has her own family. One way or another, all these are just superstitions, and it’s up to the parents to choose who will be the godmother; the main thing is to approach the issue seriously. It is important that the person intended for the role is kind, believes in the Lord, and treats the new role with all the responsibility entrusted to him. The godmother is the second mother of the child, who throughout his future life will help and support him in all matters and endeavors.

There are many signs and superstitions associated with the institution of godparents. When becoming godparents, you need to take care of the child, try to take part in his upbringing if possible, and no godparents can ever do without gifts. Why is there a sign that a girl cannot be baptized first? For men, such superstitions have no power or authority, but more emotional women tend to take signs on faith and follow these folk wisdoms. Here ancient signs and superstitions are intertwined: not only is it impossible to baptize a girl first, but also whether nursing mothers can drink milk, why they can’t sit on the table, why they can’t give certain things as gifts. The roots of these superstitions go back to ancient times, but you can try to figure out what’s terrible about the ban on baptizing a girl first.

According to some beliefs, you cannot baptize if the future godmother is not married and has not yet given birth. It was believed that the goddaughter would take away her godmother’s future happiness and she would not marry. There is also a belief that a girl can take over the fate of her godmother in the future. Therefore, those who are happily married should be chosen for this honorable role.

The next superstition says that if the first godson is a boy, then such a girl’s own destiny in the future will be happy. Such friends who refuse to be godparents can seriously offend young parents, who may believe in omens, but the child’s happiness is more important to them.

An interesting belief from England can be read on the Internet. It turns out that in Northern and Western England this problem arose for a completely different reason. According to medieval English superstition, a girl cannot be baptized first because the witches flying around will give her the ability to take all the hair from the second baby - a boy, and he will be without a mustache and beard for the rest of his life, which in those days was considered a sign of Satan's henchman.

Parents decide whether to believe in such signs or not. It is extremely shameful to refuse such an honorable mission as becoming a child’s godmother. After all, baptism is a sacred rite, and bad omens and superstitions are invented to justify one’s own mistakes and failures. The Orthodox Church has never confirmed such superstitions, and not a single church minister will refuse to baptize a girl first, because it is the church that stands in the way of such signs. Therefore, you should not give up such an honorable right as becoming a godmother for fear of losing something in life. Baptism imparts such positive energy that nothing bad can happen.

Do you believe in omens????

Is it possible for unmarried girls to have girls baptized? Yes. To become a godmother, you need to have a firm faith in God, profess Orthodoxy, love your future goddaughter as your daughter, and trust her parents as you trust yourself. The age and marital status of the future godmother do not matter. There can be only one restriction for a believing girl: you cannot baptize a child together with your future husband. That is, a couple who is dating and planning to start a family cannot become godparents for the same child.

Preparation for the sacrament

Natural parents are not godparents for their child; they themselves choose where to baptize him. They need to agree with the priest about the time, it depends on the church schedule. It is advisable to choose godparents from among the believers: they bear responsibility before the Lord for the spiritual development of the child.

Choosing godparents

Godparents must be chosen for a girl. They meet the following criteria:

profess Orthodoxy;
are not in an official or civil marriage;
are adults.

Pregnant women become godparents, but there are several nuances:

a woman must feel good in order to be able to withstand the entire ceremony;

she wants to take responsibility for this particular girl.

Parents need to know who cannot be godparents. These include:

unrepentant sinners;
young children;
unbaptized and unbelievers;
nuns, monks;
women who have recently given birth, if 40 days have not passed since the birth of the child;
persons leading an immoral lifestyle, violating the commandments;
alcoholics;
Gentiles.

For Orthodox Christians who regularly attend church, no additional preparation is required. For others it is obligatory to confess and receive communion. The priest conducts a conversation before baptism, explains how to behave during the ceremony and what is needed for baptism. Close relatives: sister, grandmother, aunt can also be godparents.

What is needed for the ritual

The godmother is responsible for raising the girl in the Orthodox spirit. Before the sacrament, you will need to visit the church and undergo an interview, during which they talk about God and the rules of the great sacrament. It is important that she is able to handle the baby as she will have to undress him and put on the christening set.

The christening kit includes:

For babies, a kryzhma (large towel) or a baptismal dress for a girl. Godmother buys.
The godfather acquires the cross. It can be put on a string or chain. For small children, it is advisable to choose a cross with rounded outlines without sharp corners to avoid scratches.

The cross and chain are chosen based on their capabilities: from plain metal or from gold, silver. There are no strict requirements on what to buy and for whom, so they can be purchased by parents, grandfather or uncle.

Preparation and rules for godparents:

visit the temple for confession and communion;
observe a short fast (3 days), giving up meat food, bad thoughts and words;
learn the text of the baptismal prayer “Creed”, “Our Father”;
acquire the necessary attributes for baptism;
Do not eat before the sacrament.

Church rules

During the sacrament of baptism of a girl, the godmother is considered the main recipient. Church rules for a godmother say that her main task is to read during the ritual of prayer. If you are not able to learn it by heart, you can take a prayer book. Traditionally, he buys a white towel (kryzhma) and a baptismal set. As a gift, he acquires an icon of the saint, whose name was given to the goddaughter during the ceremony. According to church rules for a godfather, he carries the child into the church and holds him in his arms until the time comes to hand him over to the clergyman.

Godparents and spouses often do not know on what days the sacrament of baptism is performed. There are no prohibitions on holidays, fasts or ordinary days of the week in church rules. Exceptions are made only for three great holidays: Christmas, Easter, Trinity. At this time, the priest is unlikely to have free time for the sacrament. Many churches have a set schedule; baptisms are held only on certain days, usually Saturdays. In a conversation with the priest, they clarify how the ceremony takes place and what is needed for it.

Parents and invited guests are welcome to attend the church. These include immediate relatives; photography and video filming are permitted, but it is time to secure the consent of the priest. Sometimes a professional is invited to record all the important moments of the ceremony.

Is it possible to baptize a boy unmarried?

There are also superstitions about the baptism of a boy. For example:

In order for the girl’s fate to turn out well, she needs to baptize the boy first.
And vice versa - she cannot be the godmother of a male child at all, since she will not be able to get married for a long time.
If the parents have not found a godfather, then an unmarried woman cannot baptize the boy, due to the fact that the patron must be of the same gender as the godson.

The Church rejects these signs and says that a believer should not bother his head with all sorts of superstitions. The rules for choosing godparents do not say anything that an unmarried girl cannot baptize a child of any gender.

But still, some churches, if there is only one godfather, ask to find a person of the same gender as the baby.

The Church's opinion on this issue

The Church believed, believes and will continue to believe that such talk is just stupid superstitions that have nothing to do with reality. The priests say that, of course, you can baptize the first girl, nothing bad will happen to you. The only obstacle to this may be if the godfather is the young man whom the girl is going to marry. Since the godmother and godfather will become related after the christening, relatives will no longer be able to marry. However, this only applies to weddings; there are no biological or civil prerequisites for this and there cannot be, so it all depends, again, on your superstition.

How to prepare

About how to properly prepare for a future godmother, it is best to ask the priest who will perform this Sacrament. In most churches, special conversations are held on how to prepare yourself and prepare a child for parents and future adoptees. If there is no such opportunity in the church where the Baptism will take place, and the priest for some reason could not devote time to the future godparents, then you can purchase the appropriate literature. In any case, it is advisable for the godmother to receive communion on the day of the Sacrament or the day before, having made the necessary preparations beforehand. It’s good if you manage to find time to read the Gospel during the week before baptism. Be sure to throughout the week before and during the Sacrament itself, you must pray with all your heart to God and the Mother of God for blessings for yourself and your goddaughter, and ask for help in fulfilling your obligations. Is it possible for unmarried girls to have girls baptized? Any girl or woman who seriously, responsibly, and with reverence approaches her role in the Sacrament and the entire future life of the child can baptize a girl.

The baptism of a child is an event that happens to every religious family. However, few people know that such an Orthodox ritual can affect the future fate of both parents and their children. To understand how to avoid negative consequences and not cause trouble, you need to turn to folk wisdom.

Baptizing an unmarried girl's first daughter means failure in her personal life

In the superstitions that have come down to us, there are instructions on how to properly prepare and conduct baptism. So, for example, signs are relevant that explain whether an unmarried or separated girl can be baptized.

How to store baptismal items

There are no rules in the Bible for the use of things left after a christening, but clergy recommend that parents keep the kryzhma and baptismal cross. They can be put in a chest of drawers and stored with the child’s clothes so that they are not in front of strangers. If he gets sick or behaves restlessly, they cover him with kryzhma.

What not to do with a baptism towel:

wash;
throwing away;
used to baptize other people.

There is an opinion that a baptismal shirt is a healing amulet that is applied to a sore spot for a speedy recovery. Not all parents know whether a child should wear a cross all the time. This is desirable, but if the need arises, it is temporarily removed. This thing should not be thrown away, because it is the best amulet. Even if they bought a new cross and chain, they keep the old one.

Signs about the prohibition of baptizing a boy

Of course, superstitions are also associated with the baptism of a boy. Some of them are worth dispelling. Here are the most common of them:

if you do not have a godfather, then, alas, you cannot baptize a boy, since the patron must be of the same sex as the baby;
it is desirable that the girl baptizes the boy first, then her life will turn out well;
An unmarried woman is not recommended to baptize a male child because she will not marry for a long time.

As you can see, we have three signs that contradict each other. It's safe to say that these are all superstitions. The Church rejects such speculation and emphasizes that a believer should not bother himself with such things.

There are certain rules for choosing godparents and it does not indicate that an unmarried woman cannot be the patron of your child. It does not matter at all what gender the child is. It is worth noting that some churches actually ask that a patron be found of the same sex as the baby (if there is only one person as godparent).

As you can see, any woman can baptize a child, regardless of her marital status. If someone tells you that this is prohibited, you can be sure that the person simply does not understand the intricacies of the baptismal ritual. And such superstitions are just a figment of human imagination.

Baptizing an unmarried girl's first daughter means failure in her personal life

Difficult choice

To choose a girl for the role of godmother, you can contact an ordained priest or simply an experienced priest. Most often, a week before the christening, the priests talk about the sacrament itself, what things need to be purchased, and about the important role and mission that the chosen new parents bear. In the end, the most important thing when choosing a godmother is not the question of her status in society, but the topic of religion. It is important that the godmother is a believer and baptized.

The godmother is obliged to buy an icon of the saint with the girl’s name and a special fabric called kryzhma. The best kryzhma would be a completely new white cloth, symbolizing the purity of the little girl. It is believed that in the future the baby’s mother will carefully store this fabric and not show it to anyone.

A child can be baptized after 8 days from birth, but it is important to consider that a woman who has given birth cannot enter the temple for 40 days from birth.

Superstitions

Often, when choosing future godparents, mom and dad ask themselves the question: is it possible for an unmarried girl to baptize her first girl? This is due to folk signs and superstitions, which have nothing to do with Orthodox teaching. For some reason, it is generally accepted that an unmarried godmother gives her happiness to her goddaughter. These are, in Russian, “grandmother's tales.” “According to your faith, be it done to you” - this is the correct attitude towards all signs and superstitions. “If you don’t believe, it won’t come true,” said the holy Venerable Seraphim of Sarov about bad omens. If a girl believes with all her soul that she and her goddaughter find common happiness during the Sacrament, then that’s exactly what will happen. You can say to yourself out of spite: “In this way I call on God’s blessing for my own happy marriage and motherhood.” And, believe me, this is exactly what will come true if you truly believe. So, is it possible for unmarried girls to baptize girls? It is possible and necessary if you approach your future title responsibly.

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Who are godparents?

Baptism, like other Orthodox rites, requires compliance with certain rules, the main one of which is the choice of godparents. Many try to baptize a child in infancy. Usually the ceremony is carried out after 40 days have passed since birth, but for sick or weak babies the church makes an exception and allows them to be baptized at any time.

Only those who have turned 18 years old can undergo the sacrament of baptism without godparents; this is not prohibited by the church. But for children under this age they are required. Godparents become the child’s spiritual mentors, taking on the obligation to be close to the godson and support him throughout his life. If the blood parents pass away, it is the godparents who must take responsibility and care for the child. How to choose correctly those who can be entrusted with such serious responsibilities?