ORGANIZE A BAPTISM
Surely you have attended many baptisms, but it is not the same to go as a guest or guest than to organize the baptism of your son or daughter. In this post we review what is a baptism and how to organize it, including a couple of ideas to organize an original baptism.
Table of Contents
- What does baptism mean?
- How to organize the baptism ceremony
2.1 Choose the church and the date
2.2 Choose sponsors
2.3 Prepare the ceremony
2.4 Choose the place of the celebration
2.5 Clothes for the baptism
2.6 Invitations for the baptism
2.7 Memories for a baptism
2.8 Hire a photographer
2.9 Ideas to organize an original baptism
2.10 Animation for the little ones
- Baptism in Parque de Los Enebros
What does baptism mean?
Baptism comes from the Greek “baptizien” and means “to immerse”, “to wash”. Children are usually baptized soon after they are born because they are considered to come into the world stained by original sin and baptism cleanses them of their sins and gives them a new life. Baptism is the sacrament of initiation into Christianity, incorporating the baptized or baptized into the Christian community.
The celebration of Christian baptism is carried out by immersion (immersing the baby in water) or by infusion (spilling water on his head), while the priest invokes the Holy Trinity.
In some cases, religious baptisms are being replaced by acts of welcome or civil baptisms that consist of presenting the child or young person in society. It is a symbolic act, inspired by traditional baptism, without a specific protocol.
How to organize the baptism ceremony
Below we offer you a guide to organize a baptism.
Choose the church and the date
The most advisable thing is to celebrate it in the parish that corresponds to you according to your domicile. It is necessary to present the baptismal certificates of the parents (who provide them in the parish in which each was baptized), the marriage certificate, the registration certificate in the child’s civil registry and go with the sponsors to one or two talks in which the importance of the baptism is explained and the act is prepared.
Choose sponsors
They are the substitutes of the parents in case of absence and also those who support the parents in the catholic education of the child. Sponsors must be over 16 years of age and be baptized and confirmed. The normal thing is that they are very close to the parents and although it is not necessary, one is usually chosen on the father’s side and the other on the mother’s side.
Prepare the ceremony
There are more and more baptisms that are celebrated collectively among several families of the same parish. The preparation of the ceremony consists of choosing the readings, prayers, songs and who read, as well as choosing the order of the baptized and where each family will sit.
Choose the place of the celebration
Depending on the time and scope of the christening, you can fix it with an appetizer or snack or make a meal or dinner. The park of Los Enebros, an hour from Madrid in an environment surrounded by nature, dominating a valley between the Sierra de Guadarrama and the Sierra de Gredos, is an ideal place for a baptism and other celebrations.
Clothes for the christening
To choose the clothes that the boy or girl will take to the christening, it is important to know that in the religious baptism they should wear white, as a symbol of purity. Traditionally, children were dressed with skirts. Nowadays any other outfit with the comfortable go is enough.
Invitations for the baptism
Baptism invitations can be as simple or contrived as you propose. They can include a photo of the boy or girl and / or children’s motifs as decoration. Although pink and blue are the colors traditionally associated with girls and boys respectively, the rest of the color palette is being used regardless of the gender of the baptized or baptized person. Yes it is advisable to opt for soft colors or pastel.
Do not forget to include the following information: Name of the boy or girl, and date, time and place of celebration. You can also include the name of the parents and sponsors.
Memories for a baptism
Although it is not necessary, it is usual that at the end of the baptism the guests take a souvenir detail. Traditionally they were giving away sweets. Today they have been replaced by other details such as a box with cookies, cupcakes, chocolates, sweets; a keychain or bookmark with the photo of the child; a soap shaped like a baby; a keychain or pen. A beautiful idea is some seeds “to plant dreams”.
Everything can be personalized with some children’s detail, the name of the boy or girl and the date of the baptism.
A reminder can also be given with the child’s information and the date of his baptism.
Hire a photographer
Although surely there will be pictures of the day of the baptism, it is not easy to do them without disturbing the small or small with the flash. That is why it is advisable to hire a photographer who can take charge of immortalizing the moment and not worry. Many times the church does not allow to take a photographer or impose his own. If you are going to want to have photos also of the agape you can try to reach an agreement with the same that the parish offers or look for the one that you like the most.
Ideas to organize an original baptism
To finish, we offer you a couple of ideas to organize an original baptism.
Choose a solidary detail:
To those mentioned above, we can consider the possibility of choosing a solidary detail in which a percentage of the money you invest in buying it goes to a social purpose.
Animation for the little ones
It is common for baptisms to attend as guests many children. For this reason it is advisable to think about hiring a child entertainer to organize games, a clown, a magician, trampoline or bouncy castle.
Baptism in Parque de Los Enebros
As we told you before, at Parque de Los Enebros we organize baptism celebrations. The garden has roofed spaces with shade, ideal for photos with views and animation for the little ones.
We have different rooms, spacious and cozy to host the agape.
We offer Mediterranean cuisine adapted to the taste of the Sierra de Madrid.