Christening Gift Etiquette

Tap to Read ➤ Madhura Pandit

There is specific christening gift etiquette that you need to follow when selecting a gift for Baptism or christening. Following is information on the rules that need to be followed.

Christening is one of the most important events in the life of the baby and parents. Specially in Christian families, Baptism is an important and holy event as it marks the entry of the child into the religion and faith.

If you have been invited for a christening ceremony as a guest, or chosen as a Godparent, you must be looking for the perfect gift for the baby. However, before buying a gift, you need to go through the christening gift etiquette and follow them in order to avoid embarrassment.

Baby Christening Gift

Before taking a look at the actual rules and regulations that you should be aware of, note that there is no compulsion for guests to bring gifts for a christening. However, doing so is considered thoughtful, specially if you are a close friend or family member of the couple. It may not be a proper gesture to attend a christening without a gift.

It is considered proper to gift only those articles that suit the occasion. Giving toys as baby christening gifts is considered, rather inappropriate.

If you are the godmother or godfather of the child, you can present traditional christening gifts to make the gift stand out from the rest. The traditional christening gown, or silver is usually given by the godparents.

Religious gifts top the list of perfect gifts for boys and girls for christening. In case of Christian faith christening ceremony, one can gift a Holy Bible, a cross, Cross necklace, etc. In case of other religions, one can simply gift a book or plaque of prayer, for the baby.

Silver ornaments are the best gift articles for christening. A silver spoon, silver porringer, sterling silver jewelry, etc., are some ideas that you can consider. In order to personalize it, you can even monogram it or engrave it with name or initials.

Initially, traditional gifts like the silver and the christening gown were gifted only by the godparents. However, today the tradition does not remain so, anyone can give these gifts to the baby.

Now, talking about christening ceremonies of secular families, you can gift anything from photo frames to personalized quilts and sweaters. Make sure to personalize the gifts with the name of the baby and the date of christening so that it seems appropriate for the event.

A music box of a collection of carols, children' prayer songs, is also a unique gift idea.

If you do not know what religion the parents follow, then the safest option to consider is gifting money. Money can be gifted in the form of cash or a bank check. Most parent invest the money for the baby's future use.

When talking about a money gift, a gift certificate (for parents) or a money box (for the baby for later use) can also be a last-minute gift for modern time christening ceremonies. Although a gift certificate does not actually suit the ceremony, it is still appreciated for its usefulness.

Lastly, remember that toys and soft toys should be strictly avoided for christening; you can rather consider gifting flowers if you do not have time to plan or shop for any other gift! After all it is the love associated with the gift that matters.