When is a good time?
Whenever you would like to express love,
gratitude and encouragement in a more formal
setting.
A Naming Ceremony can be
designed for any age..
in baby's first year, at the first birthday,
at the beginning of formal
education, or,
as a "Recognition Ceremony" it
could acknowledge achievements or a different ceremony could be designed
to start secondary school.
| But why a Celebrant?
Most
people feel that a Celebrant gives structure and creates a more
important focus to a ceremony that parents would rather enjoy in the
parent role rather than an organizing role.
Celebrants are experienced
in making a ceremony run smoothly and maintain interest through timing
and variety within the ritual.
Pic at right.....Christine
(Right)
at Pregnancy, Babies and Children's Expo, Melbourne Exhibition
Centre, October 2011 |
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As
a Celebrant I love facilitating Baby Naming Ceremonies.
Being a Maternal & Child Health Nurse as well I
suppose I have a fair understanding of this stage of life and feel very
comfortable with young parents.
Planning & designing a ceremony is very rewarding. Each family unit
is unique so I have an initial interview to get a feel for what
is important for that family and their values and, to
my continued amazement, the ceremonies so far, while being completely
different from each other, have suited each family perfectly.
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Sometimes
I feel the sharing, listening & understanding that takes place
between a Celebrant & the client triggers a spiritual connection
which effects the design and successful outcome of any ceremony. I spend
hours working on the wording to accurately record the family’s wishes.
When I am writing a ceremony I am constantly thinking of it, planning it
in my mind – when driving, at lectures, especially at church (probably
because this is my personal time where nothing is demanded of me, I can
move to wherever I wish to go in my head)
I
find that once we have the skeleton of a ceremony families are
stimulated to include, alter and adapt it to suit
them.
Experience tells me that ceremonies with a theme are appreciated more by
audiences as well as those where there is ‘movement’ &
involvement of others.
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But
what exactly is a Baby Naming ceremony? Why is it done and who chooses
to do it?
Often,
the families are not really sure themselves. Many want something like a
Christening, some families have never thought
of having a ritual to celebrate their child, but just “want
something”. And why not?
Naming
Ceremonies are a social response to a need that has developed within our
culture to recognize the wonder of a child
Most established cultures have something similar.
And this is what it is.
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"The light of this candle
symbolizes
the light you will be in your
family
and in your community".
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A
Baby Naming Ceremony, or “Recognition Ceremony” or “Welcome
Ceremony” or “Acceptance Ceremony” is an intimate, individual
ceremony, at any venue, to acknowledge with gratitude the birth or
existence of a child. The ceremony is an opportunity for the formal
expression of sentiments felt by parents which are woven into a simple
ritual.
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The child is important and welcomed into the family by name.
It can
be done at any stage of a child’s development – at birth, the first
birthday, the end of primary school, beginning of adolescence (maybe we
had better not call these “ Baby Naming’s”)
A
Ceremony can be designed to celebrate all sorts of achievements,
acknowledge success & help build self esteem.
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I love
the idea that we take the opportunity to express love, gratitude &
encouragement to children in a formal setting, and offer support to
parents in their role of modern day parenting.
The
Churches would say that:
“Naming’s” are not Christenings, they do not replace
Christenings.”
I agreed with this when I first put pen to paper, or
should I say, fingers to keyboard, but now I am not so sure.
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If
indeed a Christening is an acceptance into the church community, and of
God in your life, and that God is love, the reality is that in a Naming
ceremony the child is accepted into the family and community of
friendship in which his parents move and socialize, they give their
support, express their love and care and offer appropriate sentiments
that the child will grow up with loving and enduring values.
This
is what we all aim for, church & state.
Naming’s
may not be Christenings , but gosh, they are awfully like them !
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