To the boy
Christina is a great Sacrament, this rite means the acceptance of the newborn by the Lord, the holy church. The boy is brought into the temple by his godmother; during the ceremony he must be without clothes. After all the necessary actions, the priest dips the child in the font, then the godfather takes the baby into his arms, wrapping him in kryzma. The boy is dried and dressed in a clean, ironed snow-white christening shirt. The celebration then continues at home or in a restaurant.
Gifts from guests
In addition to godparents, relatives and friends of the family are invited to the celebration. They generously present the little Christian with memorable gifts that will be useful to him or his parents. An expensive present can be bought together from several guests - but first check with your parents what they need. It is better to discuss this issue in advance so as not to bring several identical items to such an extraordinary event. Among the current options for what to give a baby boy for a christening from guests are:
- Various clothes - you can buy things to grow, but not too big: suits - for the summer or cold season, T-shirts and tank tops, shorts, and other clothes necessary for everyday use.
- Children's bedding , made from natural fabric, decorated in a boyish style - with cars, animals, cartoon characters.
- A set of accessories for water procedures in blue tones - a children's bathrobe, terry towels, a cap, booties. Beautiful packaging and a card with Epiphany will add solemnity to the gift.
- The playpen - it will be useful for the boy when he begins to play on his own and learns to walk. The gift is expensive, so it can be given from several guests.
- Baby walkers - there are products with wheel locking, with a play area, with a set melody, and lighting effects. A good christening gift for a baby.
- A bathtub is a good gift if there is no such accessory or it has already become small. Pay attention to the material of manufacture; the item should not contain harmful substances.
- The blanket is warm, cozy, soft, pleasant to the baby’s body. Choose a design and color of the product that is suitable for a boy.
- Children's tableware with “Tiger Cub” or “Bear Cub” print made from environmentally friendly, hypoallergenic material. The set may contain different items: plates, bowls, mugs, spoons, feeding bottles.
- Small household appliances for preparing baby food: yogurt maker, juicer, mixer, baby bottle sterilizer.
- A reliable electric dryer - a device for quickly drying children's clothes - is a necessary thing in the house, especially important in the cold season.
- A certificate for the purchase of goods in a large children's store, where parents will buy what the baby needs.
- Envelope with money - you can put a certain amount in it; parents use the money to purchase the necessary thing.
Budget options for gifts from guests
It is not necessary to give an expensive gift; you can opt for a budget option. It is important that it is useful to the baby or parents, and not lie idle:
- a set of rattles, pyramids, cubes, a mobile for the crib - they are needed for the development of a small family member;
- educational rugs, cars, board games and construction sets for the little ones. Even if the toys “wait” for some period until the baby grows up, it’s not scary;
- photo album, photo frames - such a gift will allow you to store future photographs of the baby and conveniently place them on the wall or on the table;
- cake made from diapers - they are necessary for a baby, especially in the 1st year of life. You can make a figure out of diapers yourself, designing them in an original way;
- a set for creating casts of small hands and miniature legs - they will remain as a memory of the boy’s infancy;
- teethers made from natural, environmentally friendly materials without chemicals - your child will need a lot of them;
- diary for mom , where she will write down everything about the development of her baby;
- a set of high-quality bottles and nipples if the baby is bottle-fed. Mom will thank you for it;
- A thermal bag for storing baby bottles is a convenient thing at home and on the go.
How to congratulate your baby on his baptism in an original way?
To congratulate your baby on his baptism in an original way, it is enough to start from his age. The following gifts are suitable for little children:
- modules for a crib with cars;
- projector night lights;
- air mattresses, sofas;
- busy boards;
- swing;
- certificates for shopping in children's shopping centers;
- a subscription to classes in the pool with mom;
- diaper cake (if we are talking about a baby).
Older children will be pleased to receive the following gifts:
- designers;
- electric cars;
- bicycles;
- rollers;
- hoverboards;
- gel ant farm;
- trampolines;
- ice sled;
- sets for drawing, modeling;
- magnetic chalk boards;
- 3-D puzzles.
When choosing such gifts, you should consult with your parents, since the baby may already have them. It is best to discuss donated items with them, since who, if not them, knows better what the boy needs at a given period of his development.
What should a godmother give: features of choice
There are irreplaceable gifts that she must prepare for the boy’s christening. In addition to gifts that have been accepted for centuries, they also give necessary things to a small child.
Without fail, the baby must receive baptismal accessories as a gift; you can sew them yourself, order them from a craftswoman, or buy them in a special department of the store. The items are embroidered with silver, blue, and golden tones in the form of a cross, leaves of plants and flowers, angels, curls, and doves. The following gifts are suitable:
- light cotton baptismal shirt , you may prefer a vest - it is given to a newborn baby up to 3 months old, such a thing is easy to put on, no need to pull it through the head;
- cap - although the boy does not wear a headdress during baptism, it will be useful to the baby after the ceremony;
- kryzhma - a piece of snow-white natural fabric with embroidery. For a long time, such a diaper has been used as protection from all negativity. The baby is wrapped in cloth after the bath. Terry kryzhma is most often used; it is warm, cozy, and gentle on the body;
- as an alternative - a baptism set , there are ready-made sets on sale, which include a diaper, cap, socks, shirt, they match in style and color;
- a bag for folding baptismal items - clothes, a cross, icons, and a certificate of baptism are placed in it. There are large and small bags, choose what you like best;
- birch bark, wooden, metal box - you can store the most valuable things in it: the first hairs, a pectoral cross, a lost baby tooth;
- an icon - you will buy it in the church, choose a picture with the image of the saint whose name the baby is named - this is an additional gift for the godson;
- a candlestick made in the shape of an angel will complement the decor of the nursery, help create coziness in the room, it will be used for a church candle;
- warm cute booties , hand-knitted socks, shoes for the little ones;
- bib - there are different versions of bibs, they can be hand-knitted, sewn from natural fabric, there are options specifically for communion;
- toys – there are many different toys suitable for a boy’s age. You can pick up a toy about the godmother “for growth.”
What to give as a gift from your godfather: useful tips
The spiritual parent accepts responsibility before God for the boy, for the spiritual education of his cross. Among the main gifts from him are:
- pectoral cross. Choose an attribute for baptism according to your financial capabilities. There are copper, silver, gold, and wooden versions of products. It is better to buy them at the temple. If you purchased a precious item in a jewelry boutique, the priest will bless it before placing it around the boy’s neck;
- a chain made of the same metal as the cross; you can purchase a special ribbon made of natural material of the appropriate length;
- As a bonus, an Orthodox pectoral icon with the face of the Saint will be suitable for the gift - the church ministers will help you choose the appropriate option. You can choose an inexpensive attribute or a product made of valuable metal;
- a talisman or talisman against the evil eye or a silver bell is a powerful protector against all bad weather. Also acts as an additional gift from the godfather;
- two-in-one stroller: with a cradle and a walking block. Perhaps mom and dad haven’t had time to acquire such transport yet;
- payment of expenses associated with the baptismal ceremony is done by the godfather, although by agreement the child’s parents can also pay for the services of the church;
- photo session in the temple - photo and video filming of the baptism ceremony, it can be financed by the godfather at will, making it as a gift to the baby.
How to choose a present for an adult?
When adult men make the difficult decision to undergo baptism, they are not required to take godparents. However, being invited in such a role, godparents are obliged to congratulate the godson on finding a Guardian Angel. It also happens that in adolescence, after a “conference” with their parents, young men decide to be baptized.
At the baptism of a teenager, you can give traditional gifts, as well as buy something useful for the boy. Gadgets that will make his school life much easier will be useful. An excellent option would be a subscription to a computer club to learn the art of programming. Perhaps the young man is interested in sports, which means he will like home exercise equipment or new roller skates, skates, a skateboard, or a hoverboard.
An adult man who has been baptized can be presented with both church gifts and practical things that will serve his daily needs. Excellent options in such cases would be:
- organizers;
- beard care kits;
- certificate for a sightseeing tour of your hometown by helicopter;
- certificate for visiting a massage therapist;
- tickets to a concert of your favorite artist;
- household appliances that he needs daily (especially if we are talking about an unmarried man).
What do grandparents give?
Relatives of the older generation know what their little grandson, his mother and father need. We advise you to purchase the following gifts for such a solemn and special day:
- Silver utensils - a spoon on a clove and a plate. You can use utensils made from this metal from an early age; it helps remove toxins from the body, improve metabolism; silver cleanses and disinfects food and water from bacteria and viruses.
- Handmade blanket with pictures, a warm blanket for a baby crib. It is worth choosing products made from natural materials so that the baby’s body can breathe and he will not develop allergies.
- Crib – grandparents can buy a joint gift. A good wooden crib will take its rightful place in a child's room. It will be comfortable for your grandson to sleep in it.
- A small souvenir pillow with a prayer, the face of a saint, and other images in the Orthodox style embroidered on it.
- Warm suit for a boy, pants, trousers, shirt, overalls or jacket. You can buy things to grow - just not too big.
- A cake baked by grandmother, decorated in accordance with the theme of the special day: with crosses, angels, doves.
- Items made with your own hands - knitted clothes, an embroidered icon or painting on the theme of baptism, a wicker rug for the floor in the nursery, a feeding table designed by grandfather.
- Accessories for a small crib - a blue canopy, bumpers, mattress, bed linen, pillows.
- Books - choose publications with Orthodox fairy tales and parables, first the elders will read them, and then the child himself. A children's Bible and other books on this topic are also suitable.
- A night light for a children's room will create dim light and comfort in the room at night.
- A valuable ancestral item that is inherited in the family.
Gifts for a one-year-old boy for christening
If the parents decide to baptize the child after a year, then the gifts should be appropriate. From godparents - dad and mom, they are unchangeable, we have already talked about them. A different approach is required from guests and grandparents. After a year, the boy is more independent, he can walk, plays well, and recognizes his family and friends. Current christening gifts for a boy over 1 year old:
- Pillow, blanket or blanket with metrics. The date of birth and baptism of the baby and his name are marked on the product. Such an item will remain as a keepsake for the rest of his life.
- Orthodox gifts - a body image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, a Guardian Angel named after the boy, Christ the Savior.
- A personal icon, bought in the church or embroidered with the own hands of one of the guests. Orthodox paraphernalia - the Bible, fairy tales or stories on relevant topics.
- A silver photo frame with symbols of the Orthodox Church printed on it, a photo album with the same symbols.
- Toys - a ball, a sorter with simple elements, pyramids, insert frames. You can buy construction sets and board games, rides, sound toys, cars of various types, and soft toys.
- A dry pool with balls is an excellent gift for a one-year-old child; it serves for his entertainment and knowledge of the world around him.
- Clothing – you can buy a summer suit with shorts and a T-shirt, a warm suit with pants and a jacket, underwear, socks and tights, overalls, a jacket or other items of clothing.
- Beautiful dishes - choose high-quality dishes made from materials without harmful additives. The set includes a bowl, plate, cup, spoon and fork. Products can be decorated in a church style; there are sets with images of cars, toys, and animals.
- Photo session - on the day of baptism, you can take a photo both in the church, during the ceremony, and while celebrating the event at home or in a restaurant.
- Organizing the holiday can be done by grandparents, freeing young parents from unnecessary worries.