Baptism is the most important sacrament in Christianity. It symbolizes the birth for the spiritual life. Baptism is called a sacrament because through it, in an incomprehensible, mysterious way, saving grace works for a person. Parents who are aware of the importance of this event prepare for it in advance. They choose godparents for their child and acquire the necessary attributes for the ceremony - a pectoral cross, a kryzhma and clothes.
Baptism in Brief
The sacrament of baptism can take place at different ages. It depends on the wishes of the parents, if they decide to baptize the child, or on the adult personality. Ideally, a person should choose his own faith, however, according to Christian tradition, parents should baptize the baby already on the 40th day of his life, since this was the case with Jesus Christ.
In the old days, this rule was strictly followed. In addition, the child was named by the priest in the church during the baptismal ceremony. Today everything has changed a little, now every family has the right to decide whether to baptize or not baptize children. Moreover, this is not done strictly on day 40, but when it is convenient for the parents.
What is needed to baptize a child
To conduct a baptismal ceremony, much is not required. We need a pair of godparents - a woman and a man, a baptismal towel (kryzhma), a pectoral cross.
You should also take care of clothes for the baby. You can purchase either a suit or a christening gown for your child.
Baby Baptism Clothes
According to the Orthodox tradition, the godfather should buy a pectoral cross for a child. But a towel and a baptismal shirt for a boy are usually purchased by the godmother.
What should be the clothes for the baptism of a child? It can be either an ordinary pretty suit of any color (preferably snow-white or just a light shade), or a special shirt. You can get it at the church store or even your regular baby store.
What a baptismal shirt looks like for a boy
A christening shirt for a boy is no different from a similar shirt for a girl. If these clothes are not white, they may have a subtle blue tint. The shirt has a loose fit. It can be long, to the floor, or slightly shorter, but not above the knee.
Clothes for the baptism of a boy can be decorated with an ornament of gold or silver color, it can also have an embroidered Orthodox cross on it. As for the material from which such an outfit is made, it should be natural, soft, pleasant for the child's body.
You can also create a baptismal shirt with your own hands, for this you need to choose patterns, sew and decorate clothes yourself. In this case, it will become not only the most comfortable and soft, but also decorated the way the godmother or mother of the child wants.
Using a boy's christening gown
According to Orthodox custom, baptismal clothes need to be worn only once in a lifetime, in order to be baptized. After that, it should simply be stored in a dry place. The baptismal towel can be used when the baby is sick. It is popularly believed that if a child is wrapped in a canny, ailments and ailments recede. But the shirt for the christening of the child no longer needs to be taken out of the secluded place.
However, this does not mean that it is worth saving on baptismal clothes. After all, it is much more pleasant and comfortable for a child when natural soft fabrics touch his body, and not artificial synthetics.
