Baptism of children. Frequently Asked Questions

The baptism of children is one of the most important events in the life of Orthodox people. The sacrament of baptism is the child's first and most important step towards the Christian faith and its communion with the church.

At baptism, the baby is given a personal name. In the Russian Orthodox Church, the child is baptized with the name of one of the saints, which is mentioned in the Svyattsy.
In the case when there is no name in the Orthodox calendar that the child was given at birth, a name is given that is consonant with the name of the saint or the name of the holy saint if the memory of him falls on the date of birth of the baby. With this saint, a very close relationship is established with a baptized person. He becomes his heavenly patron.

When and where should the child be baptized?

There are no specific rules, but it is best to do this when the child is at an infantile age. There is an opinion among the people that the baptism of children must take place before the age of 7, because then this ritual loses all meaning.

By tradition, christenings are held on the fortieth day after the child was born. Of course, you can baptize the kids and in the older age, but the smaller the newborn, the calmer his behavior will be on the sacrament.

Usually , children are baptized on Sundays, but on weekdays there are fewer parishioners in the church, which is convenient for holding christening. The time of this event is best specified in advance in the candle shop. On this day, one of the relatives of the newborn must come to the temple early and inform the candle shop that today the baptism of the child will be performed. The attendants of the temple make the necessary records, and after a while comes the baptized.

The church for christenings is chosen at the request of the relatives of the person being baptized, but baptism at home is usually performed when there are some important circumstances that prevent people from entering the temple, for example, if the child is seriously ill.

Is it possible to baptize children in fasting?

This issue often occurs with the child's relatives on the eve of multi-day fasting. Yes, you can baptize children in fasting, there are no restrictions. But in most temples, on the days when Lent is held, they baptize only on Saturday and Sunday, therefore it is necessary to plan the date of the sacrament according to the rules of the temple, which is chosen for baptism.

It should be noted that upon arrival in the temple, the clothes in which the baby is dressed should be comfortable and new, the girl must have a headdress.
The child's godparents, as a rule, become close friends or relatives. It is necessary to remember that it is not accepted to refuse, in case of an invitation to be a godfather. Parents-receivers must be believers and baptized people over 12 years of age. These people are responsible for the spiritual upbringing of their godson. It is believed that the godmother and father take upon themselves the sins of the ward, until his 17th birthday. They must be dressed godly and modestly. On the breast must necessarily be a cross and no lipstick at the godmother; Kissing the cross with painted lips is absolutely impossible.

What do godmothers and father give?

The godfather is supposed to buy a child a cross and himself to pay with the clergy. The godmother must buy a baby a baptismal shirt, sometimes a towel. After the rite of baptism, the baptismal shirt and towel are placed in the pavement and carefully stored. In case of illness, they conceal the child. Traditionally, the cross is bought silver, because silver will protect the newborn from the evil eye, and gold is considered metal "dirty", associated with sin.

The baptism of children lasts an hour and a half, but sometimes it can drag on, depending on how many children are baptized. And after the ceremony, guests are invited to the festive table, but if baptism was performed in fasting, then the food should be lean.