The life of a Christian is a long and difficult path of spiritual growth, and the first step on this path is the sacrament of Baptism. In the modern world, many people are baptized in infancy, and parents have to solve a number of issues, including how to choose a pectoral cross for a child.
In many families, before the baptism of a child, they argue about what the godmother should buy, and what the parents should buy, who should buy a cross, and who should buy a shirt. The Church has not established any rules on this matter, and folk traditions vary from city to city and even from village to village. Who exactly buys the pectoral cross does not matter, as well as where it will be purchased. Buying a cross in a church shop has only one advantage over buying a jewelry store: having bought a cross in a church shop, it does not have to be consecrated - there they are sold already consecrated.
If the family keeps a pectoral cross that belonged to the grandfather or another deceased relative, it is quite possible to give it to the child. There is no need to be afraid that the child will "inherit" the fate of the deceased - such fears are among the superstitions that a Christian should not pay attention to.
Orthodox cross
The main requirement for a pectoral cross during baptism into Orthodoxy is compliance with the Orthodox tradition. Contrary to popular misconception, the Orthodox cross does not have to be eight-pointed; the Church recognizes both six-pointed and four-pointed crosses. The image of the crucifix may or may not be present - a cross without a crucifix cannot be considered "Catholic" either.
The main difference between a Catholic pectoral cross and an Orthodox one lies in the extremely naturalistic depiction of the crucifixion: a sagging body, crossed legs, nailed down with one nail. Such a cross is really not suitable for baptism into the Orthodox faith. If, nevertheless, there are doubts, the safest way is to buy a cross in a church shop at an Orthodox church - they certainly do not sell Catholic crosses there.
Material, size and other criteria
The pectoral cross can be gold, silver, aluminum, copper, wood. From the point of view of faith, the material does not matter. True, some Church leaders say that gold and silver crosses testify to a passion for luxury, which does not correspond to Christian virtues, but there is no prohibition on precious metals.
From a medical point of view, it should be noted that the cross is not worn over clothing, but directly on the body, and in terms of the occurrence of an allergic reaction on the skin, copper is the most dangerous, therefore, it is not recommended to purchase a copper cross for a child.
The pectoral cross should not have sharp edges that could damage the delicate skin of the baby. From the point of view of jewelry technology, a cast product in this regard is preferable to a stamped one.
Sometimes they try to get a very small and thin cross for the baptism of a baby, believing that it is more suitable for the baby. It is hardly worth being guided by this criterion, because a person will wear a pectoral cross all his life, and not only in childhood. Moreover, a cross that is too small for a baby is undesirable. Of course, parents will teach the child to carefully handle the shrine, but this will take time. Even a three-year-old child can fiddle with a pectoral cross, pull it up to its height - an overly thin and graceful cross is easy to bend or even break. It is better to give preference to a larger and more durable cross.
Do not buy a child too expensive a cross - a luxurious, inlaid with precious stones. Such a cross can become a temptation for parents, they will take care of it not as a shrine, but as an expensive thing. The child will adopt this attitude from the parents, and it will overshadow the true meaning of the shrine.
