Ideas for an alternative to christening

**linmum** · 12-02-2010 07:28

Hi lovely ladies,

I'm needing some ideas...I want to celebrate the arrival of our son Jack 3 months ago with family and friends but at this stage I don't want to have a christening. We will do later on if Jack choses too but we don't regularly go to church so we won't at this stage.

So anyway, what could we do ? I have heard of a Naming Day celebration but what does this involve ? Do you use a celebrant ? If so what is theire role?

I would love to hear from others who have had an alternative to a christening or anyone with some ideas.

Thanks as usual for all your help.

**Lastcenturymum** · 12-02-2010 07:37

Yes, you usually use a celebrant. I've been to a couple. I'm not totally up with the reason behind them, other than to make your child's place and as you say they are an alternative to christenings.

If you do a search in the 'Celebrations' section and have a look there you will find plenty of threads with ideas there.

Here is the link to it.

**bubbies4me** · 12-02-2010 08:12

we are having a naming day in a few weeks for DD. We are having a celebrant say some words and getting a family friend to read a poem. It basically says that this is (insert name) and welcomes them to the world and then names them at the end. Afterwards we are having a lunch.

We choose this so we can welcome DD to the world but lets her choose if she wants to be religous in the future as we are not pushing her into anything.

Hope this helps, PM me if you want more info

**chicken and eggs mum** · 12-02-2010 09:08

We are combining stellas first birthday with a naming day of such...

we are having a celebrant (same one we had for our wedding) and she is going to say a few words - we are not having godparents - but are having a reading pretty much saying that as everyone is here today they are part of stellas life and will do the best to bring her up and support dh and i in raising her.

we are also having it in the same gardens where we got married...
hth

pm me or fb me if u want any more info....

**RoarsomeMum** · 12-02-2010 09:25

We had a "Celebrate Aurora" day when she was 6 months. similar to a naming day but with no formalities as such. just a BBQ and me and DH read out some of the reasons we were so grateful to have her.. allowed anyone else to speak if they wanted to. It was a HUGE celebration.. we let off balloons with native seeds to encourage new growth in all the world (as we felt so blessed to have her grow with us) We sang Beautiful dreamer to our baby girl as the dusk settled and the stars began to peek out.. with our family and friends circled around us.. in love.

We had a notebook set up and had everyone write down how they found out she was coming and their favorite memory of her and what they think her future may hold - and took a photograph of each participant with Roar. Those photo's are attached to the personal notes and held in a time casual for her when she turns 18 or 21.

Everyone was asked to wear a plain white tee-shirt or shirt that they did not mind being possible unwearable again! and Roar was allowed to put her hand prints on (have LOADS of sorboline cream avaliable! Ink Sticks!) and draw on her guests with art pens! - we then (thankfully have a relo who is a screen printer) had all the shirts tagged with - Art, in love, by Aurora! and a thank you for celebrating with us! I see several of them wearing those T's out and about! (nearly 2 years on!) and I want to frame mine with a photo from the day.

Was a great day!

**mumma2ajem** · 12-02-2010 12:03

we had a naming day for dd as others have said pretty much a christening wihtout the religious parts you use a celbrant to do it

i know of someone who recently had a "time capsule" celebration for there new arrival where they invited everyone along to there home had a party and everyone bought something to put in a special box for there dd which some people bought newspapers with that days date receipts with the price of things soem even had special things made about the certain year etc some bought cd's with todays music and clothes of todays fashion and they lso were asked to write in special note for dd explaining who they were and there some memories of her and what they felt when they heard she had maded her entrance into the world
so when there dd is 18 they will give her this special box and she can look back on it and what her world was like then

they also added photos of each guest in to know who was there on her special day

**TeenyT** · 12-02-2010 12:10

Originally Posted by RoarsomeMum

We had a "Celebrate Aurora" day when she was 6 months. similar to a naming day but with no formalities as such. just a BBQ and me and DH read out some of the reasons we were so grateful to have her.. allowed anyone else to speak if they wanted to. It was a HUGE celebration.. we let off balloons with native seeds to encourage new growth in all the world (as we felt so blessed to have her grow with us) We sang Beautiful dreamer to our baby girl as the dusk settled and the stars began to peek out.. with our family and friends circled around us.. in love.

We had a notebook set up and had everyone write down how they found out she was coming and their favorite memory of her and what they think her future may hold - and took a photograph of each participant with Roar. Those photo's are attached to the personal notes and held in a time casual for her when she turns 18 or 21.

Everyone was asked to wear a plain white tee-shirt or shirt that they did not mind being possible unwearable again! and Roar was allowed to put her hand prints on (have LOADS of sorboline cream avaliable! Ink Sticks!) and draw on her guests with art pens! - we then (thankfully have a relo who is a screen printer) had all the shirts tagged with - Art, in love, by Aurora! and a thank you for celebrating with us! I see several of them wearing those T's out and about! (nearly 2 years on!) and I want to frame mine with a photo from the day.

Was a great day!

What a fantastic idea! Especially having the notebook.

**elleandsam** · 12-02-2010 12:13

We had a naming day, which ended up being a BBQ in a local park. It was relaxed and lovely. A great chance for my family and DH's family to get together and celebrate DD. We didn't do anything official, and it was a great day enjoyed by all.

**susieq1969** · 12-02-2010 12:33

We had a naming day for our DS too.

But we didn't have a celebrant, my best friend said some words for us. We had a candle for DS, one for us, one for the Grandparents and one for the Guardians. We had a "Rose Ceremony" after she'd spoken some words basically welcoming DS to the world etc, everyone then took some rose petals out of a bowl and sprinkled them on his head to wish him luck throughout his life.

Afterwards everyone just mingled and ate lots of food!

It was very sweet and memorable.

**Marshmellow** · 12-02-2010 12:35

I have a Naming Ceremony for DD in a few weeks.
We are holding it in a park and asking guests to bring there own picnic blanket that they can spread out after the ceremony.

We are putting on Cake and all the drinks - Champagne, OJ, water etc and guests can bring any other nibbles they want.

We have asked they not bring presents.

Should be a nice mid morning brunch for everyone.