Since ancient times, for many centuries christening gifts is part of a Christian ceremony designed to convert a young child to Christianity and protect his soul from damnation. Today, it is more of a celebration of faith and the birth of a child, expanding the circle of believers. On the occasion of the ceremony, gifts are given not only by the parents, but also by other family members, including the baby's godparents, who are considered the guardians of the child's soul.
Meanwhile, silver is precisely the material from which christening gifts have been traditionally made since ancient times. Historically, it was believed that this metal was beneficial to health due to its purity, and it was also desired that the child would have a valuable piece of silver that they could sell as an adult if they had financial difficulties. Also, silver, due to its value and appearance, was associated with wealth and prosperity. Therefore, silver christening gifts expressed the wish and wish of the giver that the child would always be happy, healthy and that his life would be very successful. Usually, christening gifts are engraved with the initials of the child being baptized, so almost all christening gifts are engraved with something.
Interestingly, similar practices existed before the advent of Christianity, when gifts and large celebrations marked the importance of births, marriages, coming of age, and even the changing of the seasons. As Christianity spread and became more popular, it adopted some pagan traditions. Of course, gifts were also given to newborns and children during pagan times. However, the Christian tradition of giving gifts to newborns was soon linked to the Christian story of the Three Kings, who gave gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the baby Jesus on Christmas.
Types of christening gifts
There are many types of christening gifts that became traditional choices in the 19th and 20th centuries. However, it was during this period that silver spoons became one of the most commonly given gifts, as the spoon symbolizes not only the baby's good health and development, but also their growth as a person throughout their lives.
In the latter half of the Victorian era, christening gifts became more complex and more like gift sets. These sets included napkin rings, egg trays, cups, bowls and various other items. From the late 18th century, silver christening cups became very popular as a christening gift. They symbolized the food that would help the baby grow healthy and strong. Silver christening cups were often engraved with the child's initials, monogram or even the family crest, and sometimes the date of the child's birth or christening ceremony was also indicated.
And although back then, christening gifts were not very luxurious - they were usually items of small value - over time, the situation changed and christening gifts became more and more expensive, and sometimes they even became a serious investment in the child's future.
Nowadays, it is very popular to give a child a gold or silver pendant for a christening, which is often in the shape of an angel or angel wings. A silver spoon and a silver pacifier are still among the most commonly given items for a christening.
Among the popular gifts for christenings are necklaces and bracelets. The latter jewelry can be made of different materials - from silver to amber. However, in Lithuania, it is especially popular to choose amber, which not only reflects love for nature, homeland and family, but is also considered to have healing properties, such as reducing inflammation or having a soothing effect during teething. Chains or necklaces are often combined with an angel or angel wing-shaped pendant made of gold or silver.