SOME SYMBOLIC CEREMONY IDEAS FOR YOUR BABY NAMING CEREMONY
A baby blessing, or naming ceremony is the perfect way to introduce your loved ones and friends to the newest member of your family.
Whether this newborn is brought together through birth or adoption, or you want to celebrate your babies first year birthday, Baby Blessings and Naming Ceremonies offer a beautiful opportunity to welcome and child into your world. This is an awesome ceremony designed to signify your union as a family together.
I have already discussed in another article what a naming ceremony could look like for you, but in this article I would like to discuss some of the symbolic ceremonies that you too could think about using in your own child’s ceremony. This list is not in any way exhaustive, but can help open up the possibilities or guide you to think of your own ideas for a symbolic ceremony. The beauty of it is that there are no right and wrong ways, there are no rules.
WATER / PEBBLE CEREMONY – Here we could have a jar of water (not full!!) There would be a pile of pebbles for family members and friends to pick up, hold in their hands and think of some words of wisdom, guidance or a blessing while the stone is in their hands warming up. These stones would then be placed into the jar of water.
WISHING TREE – A wish tree is an individual tree, either made of plywood or other material or an actual small branch of a real tree could be utilised and cemented into a pot of sorts, which is used as an object of wishes and offerings.
At the ceremony, guests could leave messages or blessings on a label and tied to the tree. Here they could even write a piece of advice for the child!
This would be similar to using a wish jar, or having a book for messages from the guests.
A TIME CAPSULE – This would be amazing to place presents or items that mean something personal to you such as a watch from your parents, or how about including a newspaper printed on the day of the ceremony. You would leave in the box for your child to open on a special birthday such as their 10th or maybe when they are 18! How awesome would that be for them?
Both parents, god-parents or guide-parents could all have their own jar with a different colour of sand than the other person, and after pronouncing their vow of commitment to support the child through life, they would then pour their sand into the glass vessel.
PATCHWORK – Here is something special. Guests would all bring a piece of material from something that is special to them. Maybe from an old football shirt, their favourite old shirt etc and then we would have someone make all these pieces of fabric into a blanket for the baby to help keep them warm. Again, as with a lot of other ceremonies, the guests would place a blessing onto these pieces of fabric before they are all sewn up together to make this blanket to protect the baby.
WRAPPING SMALL ITEM OF JEWELLERY – Here you would write a blessing or some words of guidance for the child, then wrap some paper round both the wording and the piece of jewellery. It is passed round to the next person and they repeat the process, wrapping up their special words. This would carry on until everyone has completed their wrapping. At a special time in your child’s life, they could unwrap as many or all the sheets to reveal the words left behind.
I hope this gives you some ideas for your own child’s ceremony, and as i always say, i am here to help if you have any questions. Remember too that there are no rules here, and you can have ANY symbolic ceremony that you as parents want.
Further help and advice?
Personally, I’m excited about creating ceremonies that are unique and individual. If this sounds like something you would like to have for your baby naming ceremony, or you wish to know more about any other ceremony, then please give me a call on 07557 803814 or fill out the Contact form and I will get back to you.
