On what days are children not baptized? When is the best time to baptize a baby? Is it possible to celebrate baptism?
On what days can a child be baptized is a question asked by parents who are seriously preparing for such a sacrament. Find out if there are any signs associated with christenings and certain days of the week.
Suitable days for christening
You can baptize a child on absolutely any day of the year. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a weekday or a weekend, Easter, Trinity, . The clergy say that any prohibitions can be divided into two categories:
- the first is superstitions that were invented by people (possibly due to the fact that they are actually very poorly informed about the rules for conducting the sacrament of baptism);
- the second group includes reasons why you may be refused baptism, but which do not have any religious background.
The best option is to choose several dates and go to several churches to find out whether the sacrament can be performed on these dates. In the end, you will choose the most suitable option.
Many people believe in superstitions; it is easier for them to believe that one holiday is more suitable, but in no case should they perform the sacrament on another, because the sign says that there will be trouble, than to understand the differences between these two dates No.
Because of this, a list of the most favorable dates when the sacrament should be performed has appeared:
- January 9, 11, 12 and 20;
- February 7, 9, 21 and 27;
- April 4, 11, 18, 22 and 28;
- May 2, 6, 10, 12, 16 and 24;
- June 3, 8, 12, 18, 22, 24 and 28;
- July 4, 7, 21 and 29;
- August 2, 4, 16, 22, 26 and 28;
- September 14, 16 and 28;
- October 3, 9 and 18;
- November 2, 8, 12, 14, 16 and 18;
- December 24 or 27.
In fact, it is impossible to say why these dates are special or auspicious. Therefore, it’s up to you to believe in such a superstition or not.
Monday
If you believe the folk signs that are associated with baptism and the days of the week, then it is better to refuse to perform the ritual on this day of the week. This is due to the fact that there are many negative signs associated with Monday.
For example, on Monday it is forbidden to start important things, as they will not be successful. And as you know, baptism is one of the important and serious sacraments for a little person. Therefore, many do not recommend performing this ritual on Monday.
Christening on Tuesday
The second day of the week is more favorable, according to people. It is believed that this is a great time to hit the road and start some new business.
By the way, people believe that Tuesday is suitable not only for christenings, but also for weddings. Since a couple who got married on Tuesday will live in wealth and prosperity.
Wednesday
Wednesday is another day of the week that is considered not the most prosperous. It is believed that on Wednesday one should fast, there is no need to start anything new, everything that a person undertakes will not bring good luck.
Therefore, people often refuse to perform baptism on this not entirely favorable day of the week.
Thursday
According to superstition, Thursday is the right time for baptism. After all, he is one of the luckiest
It is believed that children born on Thursday are happy, kind, affectionate, and bad events pass them by.
Friday
Not the most favorable time for conducting a secret ritual is Friday.
It is believed that on Friday, failure most often accompanies a person, and any new business will be doomed to failure (and it doesn’t matter what exactly you do).
Saturday
On weekends, baptisms are held most often and in various churches. Perhaps it was precisely because of this that the sign appeared that Saturday was a suitable time for some important rituals and affairs.
People believe that this is a very auspicious day for making important decisions. And the child who is baptized on Saturday will be lucky and happy.
Baptize on Sunday
The superstitions associated with Sunday are no different from those known about the Sabbath.
Since baptisms are often carried out in churches on the last day of the week, Sunday is shrouded only in good omens, which say that a child baptized on Sunday will be happy and successful, kind, and will always be protected by the Almighty.
According to the church, a child can be baptized on absolutely any day. However, each church may have its own rules, which imply holding the ceremony only on certain dates. Therefore, before you begin preparing for baptism, contact your chosen temple to obtain the necessary information.
Baptism is one of the seven sacraments of the Christian Church. This solemn action plays a huge role in the life of a believer. It has a cleansing meaning, as a result of which a person, as it were, dies and is reborn again for a new life.
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The sacrament of baptism is carried out with the help of water, which, on a cosmic level, endows a person with grace and cleanses him of the sin given to him at birth. An adult is forgiven any sins committed before baptism.
A tribute to fashion or the dictates of the heart
If for some reason a person was not baptized in infancy, then at a conscious age, sooner or later this problem begins to bother him. It is important to figure out whether he needs to be baptized or not. And if so, then why?.
Often in conversations at the everyday level you can hear questions: “Is baptism so important?”, “Is it really impossible to communicate with God without it?”
Returning to the origins of Christian teaching, it is worth remembering what the Lord bequeathed before ascending to heaven after the resurrection: “... go and teach the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
If people want to be Christians, they must comply with the will of the Savior. After all, it was he, the son of God, who lived among people, took upon himself the sins of the human race, suffered severe suffering on the cross, died, was resurrected and ascended to God. With his life, he showed people the path of salvation, the path along which they can come to God. But for this you need to die and rise again with Jesus. The sacrament of baptism symbolizes precisely these actions.
To be baptized or not- This is the choice of an adult. No one can force him to do this. It is important that a person does not succumb to the temptation to “be like everyone else,” without having in his soul the desire to subordinate his life to serving God.
The priests claim that it is possible to perform the ritual without the person being baptized believing in God, but it will not cost anything. If after baptism a person does not live according to Christian customs (reading spiritual literature, attending divine services, observing fasts and church holidays), the grace of God will quickly disappear, and the atheist will not be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven after death.
It is no secret that some people undergo the rite of baptism to acquire, in their opinion, certain benefits for themselves. For example: improve your health, improve your financial situation, protect yourself from damage and the evil eye. This is absolutely unacceptable. After all, the essence of baptism is to give yourself to God completely and limitlessly, and not to wait for “manna from heaven” from him.
Preparation period
Adults apply to the Russian Orthodox Church for baptism. Therefore, preparation for baptism differs significantly from the ritual for infants, because the parents make important decisions for the child, and the formed personality itself is responsible for its actions. The clergy are not indifferent to knowing what is behind a person’s desire to be baptized.
In the old days, people who turned to the church with a request for baptism were declared catechumens. Their preparation for the day of baptism lasted more than one day. During this period, they read a lot, attended church, and studied the basics of Christianity. And only the clergy decided whether a person was ready to perform the ritual. In essence, the catechumens were gradually introduced to the life of the church.
Today, priests also carry out preparatory work with those who have expressed a desire to undergo the sacrament of baptism. When people ask questions: “How to carry out Baptism?”, “What is needed for the rite of Baptism for an adult?”, “Is it worth being baptized if the wife wants it?”, there can only be one answer: “You need sincere and firm faith.”
Steps to achieve what you want
There is no need to expect the priest to be gentle and affectionate; his goal is to understand the person’s readiness to be baptized . The main thing is to stand your ground, answer sincerely and without hiding. The first meeting may be unsuccessful, and he will schedule several more audiences. Like a real psychologist, the priest understands that at the first meeting it is impossible to understand the human essence. Subsequent conversations are needed to establish the truth. How many there will be is up to the priest to decide.
In conversations with the priest, those who wish to be baptized will receive answers to unclear questions regarding the Christian religion. You can find out from him how the baptism of an adult takes place, how many times you can be baptized. And after deciding that a person is ready for an important event, find out what the cost of this action is.
Reward for Receiving God's Grace
Temples do not charge fees for rituals. There is only a donation for the needs of the church, which is collected in special boxes. Its value depends on the desires and capabilities of people; it can be pennies or thousands. Details can be found in a candle shop or from church workers.
But this does not happen everywhere. Some churches have price lists with fixed prices for various services. You can find out how much the required procedure costs. Trading in churches is not encouraged by the Bible, but in order to survive in difficult times, clergy have to turn a blind eye to this unpleasing business. Although the funds collected mainly go to helping the poor, repairing church buildings, and building new churches.
Required information
There are nuances that you need to pay attention to:
Preparation for the sacrament
Before the ceremony compliance is required at least within the last three days. It involves giving up meat, dairy products, eggs, alcoholic beverages, and smoking.
It would not hurt to spend this time reading the Gospel, the Law of God, Psalms, and prayers. It is worth giving up having fun, watching TV, spouses need to abstain from intimate relationships.
Before being baptized, we must make peace with all our enemies, confess.
On the eve of baptism, starting from midnight, there should be no poppy dew in your mouth.
Important Attributes
Adult men and women must have a baptismal shirt, a towel, open slippers, a pectoral cross on a chain or rope.
Clothes and towels must be white. For men it is a long shirt, and for women it is a long nightgown with long sleeves or a dress. These clothes are not worn in everyday life and are not washed. It is believed that it has the ability to help during serious illnesses if it is placed on an unhealthy person.
About there is an opinion that it should not be gold. It is better to buy a silver or ordinary inexpensive cross in the church. It is important to remember that after the priest places it around the neck of the baptized person, it is impossible to remove the symbol of faith, unless there are medical indications for this.
Instead of slippers, flip flops are suitable so that the feet are open during the sacrament.
Features of women's baptism
Women and girls are in the temple with their heads covered. This speaks of humility before God and men. Clothes should be modest, clean and tidy. Cosmetics and jewelry are prohibited.
The ceremony is not performed if the woman is menstruating. This issue is discussed with the priest in advance in order to choose the right day.
During immersion in water, the baptismal shirt will get wet and, most likely, will be see-through. To avoid an awkward moment, you can wear a swimsuit underneath..
Baptism ceremony for an adult
After completion of all actions, the ritual of anointing occurs, when the priest makes signs in the form of crosses with the words “Seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit” on the body of the person being baptized. Then the priest, together with the baptized person, walk around the font three times, this symbolizes eternity.
Finally, hair is cut- this means that the new Christian is given over to God’s will.
After baptism, the life of a new member of the Holy Church changes dramatically. Man accepted the obligation to fulfill the commandments of the Lord. This will bring certain changes to your usual life. You will have to give up many habits, control your actions, and change, if necessary, your attitude towards others. But don't be afraid of changes. There is a lot of light and joy in the Christian faith.
When a child appears in a family, most parents ask questions about how to baptize the child, when to perform the ceremony, and who should be godparents.
Recently, the spiritual life of Orthodox Christians has begun its revival: churches are being rebuilt, the number of parishioners is increasing. However, modern parents are beginning to perceive visiting Church as a certain tribute to fashion. Of course, even in this case, baptism will not be denied, but it is better to be aware of the importance of this rite.
Baptism is the door to the spiritual world
So, what is the rite of baptism? Why is it so important for humans? Baptism is the very first sacred rite that serves as the beginning of a person’s entry into the Church of Christ. The baby is immersed in water three times while prayers to the Holy Trinity are read, thereby washing him from original sin. At this moment, according to the Bible, a person’s soul dies to an ordinary sinful life. The Sacrament of Baptism revives the human soul for a life of grace according to the laws of God.
After baptism, a person is allowed to participate in all sacred rites.
On what day can the baptism ceremony take place?
If you attend church services, then, most likely, during the sermon you could hear the phrase that the Lord is always ready to accept our decision to become involved in the faith. On any day, at any age, you can perform the Sacrament of Baptism.
If you have a spiritual director or a temple that you visit, have the child baptized in that church. The only limitation can be the schedule of rituals performed in the temple itself. All large cathedrals can most often hold baptisms daily; in smaller parishes baptisms can be held several times a week.
Baptism can be performed at any age. If we are talking about a child, then usually the Sacrament can take place already from the second week of the baby’s life.
In rare (one might say emergency) cases, baptism is carried out at home. First you need to have a conversation with the priest, explaining the reason for the impossibility of visiting the temple.
Does the name depend on the day of Baptism?
You can baptize a child under any name and on any day. In the Orthodox Church, one of the names of the saints mentioned in the Saints is chosen for baptism. Often the name at baptism may not coincide with the name of the child in the world. According to custom, if a name is not on the list of Orthodox Saints, then a name that is consonant is chosen. Sometimes parents decide to give their child the name of the saint on whose memorial day Epiphany falls. Or vice versa: if you have chosen an Orthodox name, then baptism can be carried out on the day of remembrance of the Saint with this name.
In this case, when visiting the Church Sacraments, the spiritual name should be called.
Spiritual preparation for baptism
True repentance is the basis necessary for receiving Baptism. This ritual is not a guarantee of the salvation of the soul, but it gives the right to the possibility of its salvation. This is why repentance is so important. A person must realize his sins, confess them in a conversation with a priest, and sincerely repent of what he has done. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the fundamental things. Read at least the basic prayers that are in every prayer book.
Priests advise reading the New Testament and the Law of God before baptism. This will help you find answers to many questions, strengthen your faith, and realize the significance of the upcoming event. After all, baptism, like birth, occurs only once in a lifetime.
After this you need to come to the temple, bringing with you a cross, a towel and a white shirt.
When a child is baptized, of course, there can be no talk of confession and repentance. There are no clear regulations regarding the age of baptism for children. The clergy is encouraged to baptize children as early as possible, helping them become partakers of the grace of the Church Sacraments. When baptizing children, godparents must be present at the ceremony. They must be believers, because their purpose is to instruct the child and take care of his spiritual development. Adults can be Baptized without godparents, as they can independently confess their faith.
How to choose the right godparents?
Choosing godparents is a crucial moment and it is worth remembering some criteria. You can take any relative or friend as godparents. They have a very important mission - raising a child in faith. When choosing godparents, you need to realize that they really should participate in religious education. They can explain this to the child through children's books about God. If a child with 
When he visits one Temple as a child, he gets used to the clergy. This can play an important role in developing faith. After all, if a child has a question, he can confidentially approach a person he knows, and the priest will help him find the answer. Also, the baby will calmly attend confession before Communion.
It's no secret that you can't explain something without understanding it. It’s the same in religion: the recipients must understand the foundations of their faith in order to convey this to the godson.
It is worth remembering that godparents become spiritual relatives and this excludes the possibility of concluding a marriage between them. Accordingly, married couples will not be able to become godparents.
Since the main task of spiritual parents is to care for the upbringing of faith in the child, the Church prohibits taking mentally ill people, children, people of other faiths or atheists, as well as the child’s parents themselves, as godparents.
Is it worth waiting for a child’s conscious faith?
Faith is like a flower - it needs to be planted and carefully nurtured. A child is born with a soul. And everyone comes into this world already sinful. Baptism will help cleanse the soul, shed light of grace and introduce you to the path that leads to salvation. After receiving Baptism, the child must be brought to church for Holy Communion. This ritual will strengthen faith, protect the child from sinful misfortunes and instill the grace of God in the soul.
Parents are the guardians of the child until he reaches adulthood; they make decisions that the child cannot understand due to his age. Likewise, Baptism is caring for the child’s soul, which he, albeit unconsciously, still needs.
Soon after the birth of the baby, young parents are faced with the question of when to baptize their child and whether it is necessary to do so. Most families today are inclined to perform this ceremony during the first year of the baby’s life, but some mothers and fathers prefer to wait until the child grows up so that he can independently choose which faith he will profess.
If young parents nevertheless decide to baptize their child in the Orthodox Church, they need to choose a temple for the ceremony, and also set an exact date for the christening. While preparing for the ceremony, some people have a question about what days they can baptize a child, and whether it is forbidden to do this during Lent. In this article we will try to figure this out.
On what days are children baptized in church?
It is worth noting that the church allows the sacrament of baptism to be performed on absolutely any day, including weekdays or weekends, fasts or holidays. The clergy do not impose any restrictions on this issue, because God is always happy to endow any person with spiritual life.
Meanwhile, each church has its own opening hours and rules, so when preparing for the sacrament, young parents need to check with the priest on what days their children are baptized in this particular church.
At what age can a child be baptized?
A child can be baptized at any age after he is 8 days old; there are also no restrictions on this. Meanwhile, the mother of a newborn baby is considered “unclean” until her postpartum discharge has ended, so she cannot enter the church for 40 days after the baby is born, which means she will not be able to attend the christening.
In most cases, the baptism ceremony is carried out on the 40th day after the birth of the baby or later. If the child is sick or very weak, he can be baptized earlier, including at home or in a medical institution.
There are no days when it is strictly forbidden to baptize a child. But those parents who want to conduct the sacrament according to Orthodox canons adhere to certain rules. Since ancient times, it has been a common tradition to carry out baptism on the eighth or fortieth day from the birth of the baby. On the eighth day of the child’s life, the priest performs an important naming ceremony. By the name received on this day, the Lord knows the person and accepts his prayers.
But many still do not choose this date for baptism due to a strict rule - the mother of the child cannot be present at the ceremony until the fortieth day after the birth of the child. Until this period passes, his mother is excommunicated from the church for purification, and then a special cleansing rite is performed on her, allowing her to visit the temple again. Therefore, the most common date of baptism is the fortieth day of the baby’s life.
Attention! Don’t forget to find out in advance if there is another event planned in the church for that day, because then there will be a lot of people in the church, which will interfere with the sacrament, and the priest may be busy.
Baptism on holidays
Previously, baptism was timed to coincide with church holidays - Easter, Epiphany, Trinity, the Nativity of Christ, Palm Resurrection and others. The sacrament is allowed to be performed on any holiday, but you need to understand that a lot of parishioners visit the temple these days. The child may not be comfortable among a large and noisy crowd. And as noted earlier, the priest may not have enough time to perform the baptismal ceremony. Therefore, if you still decide to perform the sacrament during the holidays, you must visit the church in advance and make an agreement with the priest.
What else do you need to know when choosing a date?
We have compiled a list of what else you should pay attention to when choosing a baptism date:
- You need to know that according to church rules, the child’s mother and godmother cannot come to church during critical days. Therefore, you need to check your cycle in advance and, if necessary, move the date of baptism.
- If you are concerned about your baby's health, you can find out the weather for the coming week and choose the warmest day. Some people postpone baptism until the summer to be sure that their child will not get sick after swimming.
- There are also parents who completely refuse to baptize their child in infancy. There is nothing catastrophic about this! Remember, a child can be baptized at any age. Some specially time the sacrament to coincide with the child’s birthday, for example, when he turns one year old.
- Often the day of the baptism is chosen to be a day off so that as many relatives as possible can come. By the way, an unlimited number of people can attend the ceremony; it is only important that they are relatives and friends.
Particular attention should be paid to the choice of godparents, who are entrusted with the most important mission - to raise the godson in the faith.
How to perform a baptism at home?
In some cases, such as illness of a child or parent, or living in a hard-to-reach rural area, a priest can be invited home and perform baptism there. This method is also sometimes used by those who do not want to take their child to church in cold weather. But in this case, keep in mind that the priest may not agree to your proposal. In addition, only in the church does the most important part of baptism take place - bringing girls to the altar and bringing boys into it. So a child can be baptized at home, but only in the temple does this sacrament take on full meaning.
Advice! After baptism at home, the priest can be invited to stay at the ceremonial table in order to celebrate the christening.
11 folk signs about the baptism of a child
Signs of baptism by Orthodox Christians were passed down from generation to generation. We have selected the most famous of them:
- clothes for baptism should be new, light in color. After all, it is believed that it is in it that the child appears before God for the first time;
- you need to baptize the child early, because after the ceremony he has his own guardian angel, who from that moment on will protect the baby;
- for the same reason, you should not show the baby to a large number of people before the sacrament. After all, the child is absolutely defenseless in front of everything;
- Saturday is considered the most successful day for baptism;
- You should not serve pork on the festive table after christening; it is best if it is rooster or chicken meat.
- Godfather and godfather should not be in a romantic relationship, much less be husband and wife. It is best if they are relatives;
- the godparent must give the child a cross for the sacrament, and it is better if the cross is not made of gold;
- It’s good if there is a wedding in the church before or after the baptism. And vice versa, it’s bad if it’s a funeral service for the deceased;
- You should not invite a woman who has had an abortion to become a godmother;
- the kryzhma (a special towel for the ceremony) should be presented by the godmother. It must be stored for life without washing;
- If you buy a cross or other things necessary for a ceremony in church, under no circumstances take the change, or leave it in the donation box.
When choosing a baptism day, rely on church rules or choose a date convenient for the family and child - your decision! The main thing to remember is that baptism is a sacred sacrament that will largely determine the future fate of your baby. Therefore, you must prepare for it and take it seriously!
Child baptism ceremony - video
