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Ceremonies
for babies and children allow families and loved ones
to share in the joy that children bring. They also
serve to deepen our awareness of the special gift
and responsibility that children are in our lives.
Baby
Namings, Blessings and Adoptions
Whether it is called a baby naming, an adoption ceremony,
or a baby blessing, every culture has a ceremony to
name and welcome a new child.
These
are ceremonies of great joy. They serve to recognize
the special responsibilities of parents to their child;
to pledge the commitment of family and friends; to
announce the name that has been chosen for the child
and to celebrate its significance; and to welcome
the child into the family and the community.
Blending
Families
Today many families are blended. The addition of a
new step-parent or co-parent is a wonderful opportunity
to honor and clarify the new bonds and relationships
that are being formed.
Children
feel honored and respected when they are able to participate
in ceremonies affirming their new roles in the changed
family. This type of ceremony can be incorporated
into a wedding or commitment, or it can be a separate
ceremony at a time of the family’s choosing.
Coming
of Age
Older children can gain new self-respect from an individualized
coming-of-age ceremony. Our culture offers few markers
and fewer ceremonies to mark new stages of maturity.
As children leave childhood and enter adolescence, they
become more able to be self-aware and to reflect upon
who they are and how they want to be in the world. Ceremonies
which honor this new growth and new responsibility can
be very powerful, whether they are small and informal
or larger events.
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