CELEBRATIONS FOR KIDS
Life with your child will
most likely be filled with many memorable
celebrations. Often times, the first
celebration is the introduction of a child
into a family’s religion. And soon to
follow, birthday parties, family holidays,
and a multitude of other special events that
will certainly provide you and your family a
bounty of special memories.
It is important to mark
special milestones in your child’s life with
celebrations. The next segments describe a
few of the most common childhood
celebrations.
CHRISTENINGS AND BAPTISMS
A christening or baptism
is considered the formal entry of a child
(or sometimes an adult) into the Christian
faith. Water is the primary symbol used in
the ceremony to represent life, cleansing,
and growth, and is commonly sprinkled on the
head of the child in a symbolic gesture.
While christenings or baptisms can take
place at any age, it is common to have the
ceremony for an infant. Because infants
cannot answer the questions that are asked
during the ritual, godparents are chosen to
answer for the child. It is considered an
honor to be chosen as a godparent, and they
often will participate in the religious
education of the child for years to come.
The ceremony generally
takes place in the church, often as part of
a service. The infant or child usually wears
a white christening gown used solely for
this purpose. The gown is frequently handed
down generation to generation. Family,
friends, and neighbors can be invited to
participate, and usually a post-christening
party or open house follows the ceremony.
BRIS MILAH
A bris milah is the ritual
circumcision that is performed on Jewish
baby boys on their eighth day of life. Jews
consider the practice to be a covenant that
god has established with the Jewish people.
The trained person who
performs the circumcision is called a mohel
(pronounced moyl). He is often also a
pediatrician, but not always. During the
ceremony, he will say a number of blessings
and prayers, and he will ask the parents for
the child’s Hebrew name. This name may or
may not be the same as their legal name.
Family and friends
generally attend the ceremony and bring
gifts for the baby. Though, it is also
perfectly acceptable for only the parents
and the child to be in attendance. It is not
considered acceptable by Jewish law for the
circumcision to be performed in a hospital
or by a gentile (non-Jew).
FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTIES
It’s true that your child
will not remember anything of his or her
first birthday. But, it is a wonderful
reason to have friends and family join you
in celebrating this huge milestone in your
child’s life. Your child might not
understand what the fuss is all about, but
will realize that it is a special day.
You may want to plan a
small party for just family and very close
friends. Or, maybe, you want to invite lots
of friends, other babies and their parents.
Either type of party can be loads of fun and
very memorable, especially if it is planned
well.
When planning a first
birthday party, it might be helpful to
choose a theme that can add to the fun
atmosphere. Next, set the date and time and
write up a guest list. Then, you will want
to select party favors and choose the food
and beverages that you will be serving. It
can be as simple as a home baked cake or as
elaborate as a buffet spread. The choice is
yours!
If you will be having
children at the party, remember to provide a
safe space for them to play and plan a few
games for them, as well. Finally, don’t
forget to take lots of photos and use the
video camera. This is a special event that
will have plenty of memories worth saving.
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