The ceremony of familiarizing a person with God is practically in every religion of the world. In Christianity, he is called baptism. Since ancient times, it has been customary to baptize a newborn infant so that from the very first months of his life the child was protected and protected by the holy forces, the guardian angel. In order for the rite to be held, the relatives of the baby invited the kum. There is this tradition to this day.
What does it mean to be a bugger
So, who is the godfather? The godfather of the child in relation to his blood parents. We will clarify: for the baby himself, he is the spiritual father. The role of the godparent in the sacrament is to take responsibility for the godson before God. For his spiritual development, for educating him in the spirit of Christian truths and values. But for the mother and father of the newborn, he is just a godfather. This, who does not know, can clarify in the church from the priest, so as not to get confused in the terminology. Once, at the dawn of tradition, it was enough to invite one person for the rite - a man if a boy was baptized, and a woman - if a girl. Accordingly, the representative of the weaker sex was considered a godfather for the child and a kum for her relatives. Later they began to invite a couple, so that the child had two second parents. Often they really did replace the real ones, first helping the child, and then to the adult: advice, materially, etc. By the way, one more answer to the question: "Who is this - who is this?" Sounds like this: a man in relation to A woman with whom he baptized an infant. In rural areas, most often the role of kum is called a married couple - their friends or good acquaintances. Sometimes God's relatives are chosen from blood relatives. Naturally, these are already grown-up, accomplished people, who are necessarily baptized themselves. Kumovya can be older and younger - in the event that several people are invited for this. Then one more lexical meaning is revealed by the word. Kum is (who doubts, we address to the explanatory dictionary) each of the men who participated in the rite of baptism, in relation not only to the parents of the baby, but also to each other. Women are kumy, or goblets.
Sneaky friends
Explanatory dictionary - a wonderful book, a true storehouse of wisdom. Flipping it, we can find additional useful information on the word of interest. It turns out that they call a cousin a bosom friend, with whom spiritual and business relations are united. And for the female there is a similar designation. Naturally, the kuma!
At the festive table
But back to the rite. After the baptism, the whole honest company celebrates the holiday at the richly laid table. Sounds toast, toast. Even it is customary to hold competitions for christenings for the cronies. Most often they are joking. For example, if the couple are young, they can be given the task to swaddle first a large doll, and then a godson, to put a diaper on him or crouch, if he has not blown to the measure. If they are still childless themselves, you can bring a cabbage head and offer to "strip" it - supposedly there, inside, a hidden prediction of who they are born first - a boy or a girl. When the koumos begin to separate the leaves, the presenter will joke that they are supposed to be naive in the cabbage of a child! And, of course, gifts. If you do not know what they are giving to the christening bells, do it traditionally. Usually it is a tablecloth, a set of towels or other home textiles. Sometimes men - warm scarves, women - scarves or shawls. In ancient times, of course, all things sewed, knitted, embroidered themselves. Now they are satisfied with factory production. And, of course, utensils - memorable cups, saucers and similar things.
However, the main thing is not gifts. It is important that the little man gets into the newly-born godparents of really second parents and, when he grows up, he would become his support in the old age.