Baby Naming Ceremony

MoominPapa

My partner and I want a secular naming ceremony for our new born, we're both atheists from typical Catholic backgrounds, and we're trying to come up with ideas. Anyone have personal experience, pointers or recommendations for officiants? We moved into our house this year so we will probably have it at home in order to emphasis new beginnings (and save a bit of cash! )

Nevyn

http://www.humanism.ie/cere.html

What do you want from such a ceremony ?
What elements do you want to incorperate ?
Can a family member officate ?

Most things are both a naming and a welcoming ceremony

Shelli

Planting a tree in your garden in honour of your new baby is a nice thing to do during the ceremony. I know people who had taken the placenta and put it in a little box and planted it under the tree while saying a few words and the mother read a little poem, it was really sweet and I thought it was lovely.

MoominPapa

Tree planting is a lovely idea, thanks Shelli:), placenta we don't have but maybe we might hang the cord from the tree.
We want what, I presume, most people want from a christening, a celebration of their new arrival with a semi-formal aspect to show the importance of the change to our lives and a fun element to emphasis the joy the change has brought. The fun element is easy, although novel suggestions always welcome!, the structure of such a ceremony, oddparents (I believe they are called instead of godparents), ways to involve/placate the grandparents, maybe gifts for everyone who comes and so on are the things we would like help with.
I was on the Irish Humanist site, anyone recommend their book on secular ceremonies?

ArthurDent

We got a nice hard back blank book and asked everyone at our childs ceremony to write a few lines to them, telling them of their hopes and wishes for them - even now it's nice to look back at my sons and see the words my grandfather and fil wrote - they have both died since so it will be nice for my son in the future to have these words that will link him to his past.

MoominPapa

Great idea ArthurDent, thats going on the list:)

Carrigart Exile

why if you are secular do you need some kind of quasi-pagan ceremony with the hanging of imbelical cords, etc. The humanist society can provide services for naming

MoominPapa

Carrigart Exile wrote: »

why if you are secular do you need some kind of quasi-pagan ceremony with the hanging of imbelical cords, etc. The humanist society can provide services for naming

Because we don't want to be too up tight about it...Do you have any experience of such services?

Nevyn

The hanging of the cord or the burying of the placenta would be looked up by many as being pagan but it depends on the reason it is being done.

So you are looking for someone to be the MC for the event,
to welcome everyone, state why they are gathered,
list the names of the parents,
what lines they come from and to name the grandparents,
then state that the two bloodlines have become one in the child being named,
to ask the parents for the name of the child,
to present the child to those present using the name,
to ask the parents to pledge or promise to using their own vows to bring up the child
to ask those gathered to support them in their pledge as a child is reared by a community
and to ask if there are those while specifically take on that role,
get those who step forward to make thier pledge to the child and the parents in front of those gathered there to witness.
To ask the grandparents to say a few words of welcome/ or to well wish.
To make a proclamation using the child's name stating how they are loved and may they grow in strength and beauty to add to the joy of the world they live in and to all the lives they touch.
Then to thank everyone for coming on the behalf of the parents and then to say were the tea and sanwhiches are.

MoominPapa

Thaedydal wrote: »

The hanging of the cord or the burying of the placenta would be looked up by many as being pagan but it depends on the reason it is being done.

Because it would look cool;)

Thaedydal wrote: »

So you are looking for someone to be the MC for the event,

Not really

Thaedydal wrote: »

to welcome everyone, state why they are gathered,
list the names of the parents,
what lines they come from and to name the grandparents,
then state that the two bloodlines have become one in the child being named,
to ask the parents for the name of the child,
to present the child to those present using the name,
to ask the parents to pledge or promise to using their own vows to bring up the child
to ask those gathered to support them in their pledge as a child is reared by a community
and to ask if there are those while specifically take on that role,
get those who step forward to make thier pledge to the child and the parents in front of those gathered there to witness.
To make a proclamation using the child's name stating how they are loved and may they grow in strength and beauty to add to the joy of the world they live in and to all the lives they touch.

But this is the sort of thing we may split between us and the oddparents so thanks for the ideas:)

Thaedydal wrote: »

tea and sanwhiches

Me and the missus will be the only ones on tea I reckon :rolleyes:

Nevyn

You are welcome.