A Baby Naming ceremony can be organised by anyone regardless of religious, spiritual or cultural beliefs. Some tips on what to include in the ceremony.
Planning a Baby Naming Ceremony
A Baby Naming ceremony is an ideal way to welcome your child into the family and can be arranged by anyone regardless of religious, spiritual or cultural beliefs.
If you would like to celebrate the birth of your child, a Naming ceremony is the ideal way to welcome your baby into the family and announce the names you have chosen.
This beautiful occasion also gives parents the chance to make promises and commitments to the baby and for friends and relatives to confirm their special relationship with the child and to offer their love and support for the baby’s future.
It brings a sense of family and unity among friends and is an attestation that the child is welcomed and is under the protection of those sharing the celebration.
During the ceremony other children in the family might also promise to love and care for their new sibling.
Before the Naming Ceremony
Unless a friend or relation is to conduct the ceremony you need to find someone to act as a celebrant. The venue must be decided on; this should be somewhere special for the parents. A service should be chosen; this can be written entirely by the parents or it might be adapted from scripts for Baby Naming Ceremonies.
Invitations should be sent to family and friends before the ceremony
Venue for Baby Naming Ceremony
The Naming Ceremony can be held in any special location chosen by the parents. This can be their home, garden, a park, on the beach or in a Register Office that offers Baby Naming ceremonies.
What to Include in a Baby Naming Ceremony
The ceremony is similar to a christening and comparable with choosing Godparents. It is symbolic of friends and family making a spiritual and emotional commitment to the child and his or her upbringing. The new parents will make a vow to love, protect and honour the child and raise him or her to the best of their abilities.
There is no “set” ceremony. It can be specially chosen using poems and readings that are meaningful to the family. Below are some suggestions on elements to include in the service.
Order of Ceremony and Baby Naming
Although there is no set ritual, most Naming Ceremonies will include
• An introduction by the celebrant
• Readings and Poems
• Naming of the Baby
• Parents’ Promises
• Guardians’ Promises
• Closing Speeches
Further Ideas to Commemorate the Naming Day
There are many creative ways to make the Ceremony unique and memorable. Music, poetry and prose readings can be included in the ceremony. The venue might be decorated with flowers and candles. Other ideas to make the day special might include:
• Plant a tree that will grow along with the child
• Light a ceremonial candle
• Release balloons
• Give reasons for the name chosen
• Present symbolic gifts as keepsakes
• Bury a time capsule
• Ask guests to write a message in a book for baby to read when he or she is older
• Keepsake Boxes
Holding a beautiful Naming Ceremony is a special way to celebrate the birth of your child and to welcome the baby into the family and circle of friends.
This ceremony is also ideally suited for adoptive families or for those who have become guardians. Holding a ceremony in honour of an adopted child or step children is a great way to make an older child feel a part of the family.
Sources
• Gordon K. Rites and Ceremonies:Alternative Guide to Baptism and Baby-Naming. London: Constable. 1998.
• Barber A. Your Complete Guide to Naming Ceremonies. London: G A Publishing. 2008.
