Some notes for a name giving ceremony

Name giving Ceremonies are precisely that. You register your child’s name at the Registry Office, you Baptise or Christen your child at a Church, but the social event of Name giving is where you celebrate the birth and naming of your child. Name giving does not preclude a religious event, should the parents or child decide to do that later. I often say that the Name giving is a good excuse for the parents to have a party!

So, there is nothing legal or religious about a Name giving Ceremony. It is, instead, an excellent opportunity to celebrate the birth and naming of a child, in the company of those whose support you value most highly. Work out a Ceremony that you expect to enjoy, that your child will sleep or gurgle through, and that your friends will remember with meaningful pleasure. Ceremonies are conducted in all sorts of locations and at all sorts of times – from on the beach before breakfast to in your garden before lunch. Adults like to be involved, and other children love to be there to participate in one of the rituals or ‘rites of passage’ that will form their lives.