The baptism of a child: the rules of the rite.

Every parent has the right to choose whether to baptize their precious child or not. But more recently, young couples prefer to give the child the right to choose and postpone baptism to his conscious choice. At the same time, true believing parents try to christen their child as early as possible, literally from the first days of life, because according to the belief, after such a procedure a person has his own guardian angel.

The procedure for baptizing a child is a subtle ritual that raises many questions. It is best to consult a priest before the baptismal rite , but you can learn the answers to general questions from this article.

The main question that parents ask is the meaning of the child's baptism. According to the Bible, a baptized child is under the protection of God and receives his guardian angel and patron saint.

What should parents do if they have different religions?

First of all, they must come to a compromise and decide what kind of religion their child will profess. However, only one of the parents can be present at the procedure when the child is baptized (the rules of the rite prohibit the parents of another faith from participating in the sacrament). It is very important to remember that this choice is not just a whim or a rule of life in society - this is a very serious act and it is necessary to adhere to the traditions of the chosen faith in the upbringing of the child after baptism.

When can I baptize a child?

According to the traditions of the Orthodox faith, the rite of baptism is conducted not less than 40 days after birth. This is because the woman has no right to enter the church during the first postpartum weeks, since it is considered "unclean". In principle, a child can be baptized before, but the mother can not be present at this moment in the temple. There is nothing reprehensible in the fact that you decide to undergo this procedure a month or even a year after birth, no one has the right to refuse you.

The baptism of a child is the rule of choosing a name.

Usually the name is picked up by the parents before the baptism, according to the names of the saints, which appear in the church calendars on the child's birthday. But there are such moments that such names are completely inapplicable to modern conditions, because complex ancient names, for example, Theopent, will cause a lot of emotions on the part of others. In this case, you have the right to choose a name yourself. If the child's favorite name does not appear in the church calendars, choose the most suitable, for example, Alina - Angelina. In addition, many believe that such a duality of names helps to protect the child from evil eye and spoilage. But in the Orthodox faith this is not said, since the belief came to us from Islam.

How to choose godparents?

The choice of the godparents must be approached with particular seriousness. It should be people who are able to baptize a child, the rules are exactly the same, and they must necessarily be believers (one faith with parents and a child). In the godparents you can not take people with a different religion, a married couple, monks and nuns, mentally ill, underage and come into the temple in a state of intoxication. In the event that the chosen godfather and godfather are not Orthodox, but are ready to receive this faith for themselves - they must necessarily undergo the procedure before the christening of the child. A child's cross can only be one, but he must be of the same sex as the child.

Such a rite as a baptism of a child, whose rules are very strict, does not have strict canons in choosing a cross. From a practical point of view, it is better to select a cross with rounded edges so that the child is not accidentally injured. It can be not of precious metals, but of ordinary aluminum or any other metal.