Naming Ceremonies

A NAME DAY CEREMONY (or Naming Ceremony) is an important occasion for parents and all family members.

The Name Day ceremony gives recognition to the significant event that has taken place in your lives through the arrival of your son or daughter. It is an opportunity to introduce your child into a wider circle of family members and friends and to formally name your child in their presence. It is also a time to celebrate your happiness with people who matter to you.

It Is Not A Religious Ceremony

A Name Day ceremony is not a religious ceremony. It is not a baptism nor a christening. These are religious ceremonies conducted in the Christian churches as ceremonies of entry into the church family.

However, if parents specifically request a prayer or religious reading, this can be included in the Name Day ceremony.

FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES humankind has used both religious and non-religious ceremonies to welcome the arrival of a new child. Through ceremonies we express feelings and emotions that we can never quite express in any other way. All peoples hold ceremonies to celebrate the most important events of life.

SOME DEFINITIONS: A 'Mentor' originally meant a "wise and trusted counsellor". It has come to mean "a particular person that one can look to for advice and guidance."

Godparents were originally the people who stood as sponsors for the child at his or her baptism into the church. On a Name Day it is used to mean those selected "significant other" adults who promise to care about and guide the child.

It is most important that you discuss and agree about the responsibilities of the child's mentors with the people you have chosen.