Thinking about a naming party or celebration?
Bringing a child into the world is probably one of if not the biggest undertakings and commitments we can make in life and, in my book, that makes it something that is genuinely cause for celebration. Naming ceremonies are Welcome to the World celebrations or, if it helps to think of them as a kind of non-religious christening. They are becoming more popular as an alternative to a religious christenings or baptism, yet, compared to the number of people who celebrate a marriage with a wedding, they are certainly not as numerous. If you’re thinking that when you’ve just had a baby that the last thing you want to do is organise a party or celebration, I hear you! However, there is no time limit on a Naming ceremony, it can be done whenever works best for you as a family. You can wait until your child is older, combine it with a birthday party or hold a family commitment ceremony for multiple siblings. All of theses can be a great way to maximise the fun and minimise the party planning.
"Celebrate and welcome new life*"
So what is a Naming ceremony?
Think a non-religious version of a christening, a chance to celebrate and welcome new life* into the world, community or family.
Becoming parents is a huge life event, up there if not more of a commitment than marriage, yet far fewer people mark this occasion with ceremony or ritual. We are well accustomed to celebrating marriage, so why don’t we also do the same when it comes to birth?
I believe that this is, in part, because people don’t realise that there is an alternative to a religious christening or baptism ceremony and I am passionate about raising awareness of non-religious Naming ceremonies.
A Naming ceremony is centred around the child and the hopes that their parents or guardians have for their life ahead. It is an opportunity to say words of familial love that often go unspoken and to officially appoint special people (these are often known as guideparents but you can use whichever titles you wish such as guardians, mentors or fairy godparents). These special people will help and support the child (and often the parents too!) as they grow up. They may often be from outside the family unit and this an opportunity to build or reinforce a connection that will last a lifetime, again a chance to say what often goes unsaid, why you value them and appreciate having them in your lives.
You might be thinking ‘Helen, we’ve just had a baby the last thing we want to do is plan a party!’ To which I say, there is no expiry date on a Naming ceremony! Many parents like to combine it with the first birthday party (less party planning and cost vs separate ceremonies). Equally a child can be any age so please don’t think if you have a toddler or older child that you have ‘missed the boat’. For teens and pre-teens the ceremony can take more of the form of a ‘coming of age’ particularly great for families that may not be religious themselves but have a cultural religious heritage such as Jewish (as an alternative to Bat or Bah Mitzvah ceremonies) or Latin American Catholic (akin to a quinceañera).
Each ceremony, like all Humanist ceremonies, is completely unique and personal, the result of time spent with you as a family and completely led by what you want for your ceremony and your celebration.
You may want to include messages, letters or suggestions in a keepsake box, blow bubbles, do a cake smash or get your guests involved in creating a unique piece of art. Some suggestions of these can be seen below.
*new life doesn’t necessarily mean birth of a child. Additional causes for celebration are adoptions, coming out, gender affirmation, blending of families as well as coming of age celebrations similar to a Quinceañera or Bar/ Bat Mitzvah.
