In the eyes of the church, baptism is considered one of the most sacred and reverent acts. The Catholic Church even regard it as one of the seven blessed sacraments amongst matrimony, anointing of the sick, Eucharist, confirmation, penance and holy orders.
When a person is baptized, he or she is cleansed and sanctified from original sin and undergoes a purifying experience. This Christian sacrament of initiation is celebrated the world over as it is the biggest and only step for a person to identify himself with a church.
In some countries, baptism is regarded as one of the most vital ceremonies in life and is put on the same level of importance as with weddings. As such, it is common for baptism receptions to be held throughout the world to commemorate this truly special event. In these receptions, family and friends are gathered together to congratulate the newly baptized and welcome them into their new church. After the reception is over, the guests are given a little gift or favors as a symbol of thanks.
In the old western culture, favors are a part of a tradition during wedding reception or a bridal shower. It does not only act as a gesture of thanks and acknowledgment to the guests, but it serves as a memento for that occasion. In recent times, this practice has intertwined with less formal occasions such as parties, reunion dinners and baptism receptions. Such favors include noisemakers, party hats and gift bags.
However, the search for a perfect baptism reception favor can be a tedious process. One has to consider the price, quality and the appropriateness of each gift. The overall cost of these favors may take a toll on the host or hostess’s budget. Moreover, there are too many choices to the extent that our minds are boggled by the endless shelves of gifts displayed. The trouble is when we seem to find the right one; another item catches our attention which is much more appealing than the former.
The best place to start for a more religious oriented favors is none other than a Christian bookstore. They offer a wide variety of choices from the conventional items like tiny magnetic crosses to more popular ones like car stickers. It may seem odd to give out car stickers during a baptism reception ceremony but what is better than to start evangelizing your fellow countrymen from the windscreen of your very car. Rosaries are also a popular item among the Catholics as it is used to intercede for any intercessions to the Virgin Mother Mary. Perhaps that little pink Swarovski Crystal rosary will be a great baptism reception favor. How about the one made out of fragrant rosewood? The choice is up to you.
Just in case some of your guests may consist of friends who are of a different religion and beliefs, head down to a gift shop or onto the internet kiosk. You can never go wrong with a framed up photo of the newly baptized. Tiny scented candles with well wishes or mini flower pots can be the perfect favors for your friends. Miniature statue of cute figures will not only charm the hearts of the little ones, but they also make perfect paper weight and at the same time enhances the look of a cluttered work desk.
However, if budget is a problem, there isn’t a need to waste money on obtaining favors from a shop. Who needs it when you can create your own baptism favors? Just ransack some brain cells and pull out the creative juice in you. Favors can be made from simple objects around the house such as a personalized tea bag with your own design on it. Fruits make a great gift with a little bit of ribbons and a tiny decorated card tied on the stem of an apple or a pear. If somehow these are even too expensive for you, just grab a pack of party napkins and start adorning it with magic markers, glitter and little pieces of jellybeans.
Although some may deem that baptism reception favors are only a waste of money and unnecessary, favors are an old school gesture of courtesy and etiquette. It is only right to thank those who have sacrificed their time to join in this memorable event and enable it to happen. Moreover, these souvenirs are a token of that meaningful event and they are reminders of our responsibility to those newly baptized brothers and sisters. They should not only be decorations or stored away but rather these favors should be utilized into aide me moiré to deepen our faith and improved our spiritual side of life.
