Modern parents increasingly pay tribute to forgotten church traditions and baptize their baby after birth. Godparents are assigned the role of moral education, moral support of the child. The godparent is responsible for his godson. And to express their love, tender feelings for the little man, recipients or godparents often give the baby a silver spoon. Where did this custom come from?
For a baby, baptism is the beginning of a spiritual life, so the godmother and father must share this touching ceremony with him and his parents. According to church custom, the recipients give the child several gifts. Among them - a baptismal shirt and a cross, a kryzhma - a towel in which the baby is wrapped after the font. These presents are presented by the godmother. And the godfather must pay for the food for the guests and the ceremony itself, give a cross and a chain.
Silver spoon - a gift for a "tooth"
The church tradition to give the godson a silver spoon appeared a long time ago. I will present a spoon made of noble metal to the baby for the future, so that the child can eat food with this cutlery. The name of the baby or the image of the Guardian Angel, the Orthodox cross is often engraved on the spoon. You can also write words of prayer on the gift.
The traditional christening gift is usually used for the first time already in the temple. It serves to teach the baby to Communion. With the help of a silver spoon, the crumb is allowed to taste bread soaked in pomegranate or any other red fruit juice.
Silver christening spoons today can be chosen with different finishes. Products decorated with colored enamel are widespread; it is worth choosing a beautiful case and ribbon for an important gift.
The symbolism of silver spoons
Silver spoons are given for the "tooth", because when the baby's first teeth erupt, at this time complementary foods are introduced into his diet. When meeting new food, the use of precious metal spoons has a decontamination effect. This is because silver ions kill pathogenic microbes, pathogens of intestinal and other diseases. So a spoon can be a very practical gift for a godson.
Also, a baptismal gift allows you to teach a child to be independent earlier. But for this you need to choose a spoon with a comfortable curved handle. The baby will definitely like the baptismal spoon and will become his favorite, if you approach it wisely.
The spoons presented for baptism are small, but the appearance and shape of the silver cutlery may vary. The popularity of baptismal spoons made of precious metal especially increased in the 18th century. Today, such gifts for babies are affordable for almost everyone, they allow you to express a special attitude towards the child.
