Giving present to a new baby is often thought to have its origins in the stories of the wise men gifting gold, frankincense and Myrrh to the baby Jesus in the Christmas story, but in fact Pagan traditions go back much further, with rites of passage marked by ceremonies and gift-giving. It's common to celebrate the arrival of a new baby with religious or valuable gifts which can help both children and their parents in their early family life.
Christening gifts traditionally are thought to be of value, and the idea is that the value of the gifts rises over time, forming a type of investment for the child's future. In Tudor times the luckiest English babies were given Apostle spoons upon their christening, which is thought to be where the phrase "born with a silver spoon in his/her mouth" comes from.
Christening gifts have a long tradition, and are a great way of showing babies, parents and family how pleased you are about the baby's arrival. It's typical for christening presents to become treasured keepsakes for the recipient child or their family. Christening is naming the child before God, so there is often religious references or imagery involved in these gifts, as well as personalised baby presents including their names.
It is usually godparents who spend a lot of time selecting beautiful christening presents, but there is also extended family and friends who may feel like providing a gift. Many people are unsure whether they should buy a christening gift at all. If the child's family is asking for visitors to the christening to arrive at a particular time, this will usually be the most appropriate time to present the gift. If there is no public christening ceremony, or you are unable to attend it, you should send it to them before the christening, so it can be opened at the ceremony.
Traditionally, silver items are often gifted as christening presents. This could mean jewellery, stationary, cutlery, rattles, toys or anything else which is silver. Frames for the christening certificate are also popular, as are bibles and christening gowns.
Babies might not be too concerned with bling, but jewellery can be an excellent christening gift. It will usually be safeguarded by parents who understand its value, and finally presented to the child when they are old enough to take care of it. These items of jewellery can become symbolic and treasured items later in life.
Bill Weston writes on a number of subjects including personalised baby gifts, baby gifts & christening gifts.
