Across religions and cultures, the act of naming a newborn is a deeply significant gesture. With a name, a family gives a baby an identity that may emphasize a desirable characteristic like Joy or connection to an ancestor.
And the name may bestow religious or community blessings and good will on the new member. A baby-naming ceremony is a celebration with rituals specific to each faith and some universal customs. If you are looking for naming certificates, you can also check out Jewish Baby Naming Certificates or simply Buy Online Now via Ketubahome.
Christian
The Christian naming ceremony is usually combined with baptism into the faith. Many Christian sects believe in the concept of original sin, a shadow on the pure soul inherited from the disobedience of Adam and Eve.
Baptism removes this stain and initiates the child into the spiritual community. Most ceremonies take place at a designated baptismal font in a church. Babies are traditionally dressed in white for the ceremony to signify their innocence, and they are attended and held by their parents or godparents.
A priest or minister anoints the child's forehead with holy oil and sprinkles it with blessed water, welcoming the infant to the church and invoking God's grace and mercy on its soul. At that time, the baby's name is spoken and a baptismal certificate with the new name, ideally a saint's name, is signed.
Judaic
Girls and boys have different naming ceremonies in Judaism, although modern Jews may de-emphasize the distinctions between them. The brit milah, or bris, for boys, combines ritual circumcision with announcement of the child's Hebrew name. A bris is conducted eight days after the birth, in a temple or in the home, by a trained mohel.
The godparents hold the baby, who is given a drop of wine to soothe him if he cries. For boys who are not circumcised and for newborn girls, naming takes place at the synagogue on the first shabbat after the birth.
The baby's father reads from the Torah and tells the congregation the child's Hebrew name. After the announcement of the name, candies are thrown to wish the baby a sweet life.