Who can be the child's godfather? How are godparents chosen for a child? Who shouldn't be a godfather?

Your child. According to tradition, this is done 40 days after the child’s birthday. After Holy Baptism, the baby acquires named parents. According to many people, it is from this moment that the Lord begins to protect the baby. While godparents have a large number of responsibilities, this is especially true for the mother.

It is she who bears the main responsibility. Therefore, it is necessary to choose godparents with all seriousness.

During baptism, the most significant role is assigned to the godmother. After all, her duties are not limited to taking part in the church rite of baptism and congratulating the spiritual child on secular and religious holidays: they will last a lifetime.

Holy Baptism

Baptism is one of the most important sacraments, the essence of which is the acceptance of a person into the Christian Church. It should be noted that when Christianity was just emerging, ritual immersion in water was already performed among various peoples of the world: water is the key to life. There was a belief that a person immersed in water is protected from all his sins and begins life with a clean slate.

Today, the adoption of baptism does not have any serious differences from the baptismal rite, which was carried out several hundred years ago. As then, so at this time, it is the clergyman who conducts the baptism ceremony.

Jesus Himself instituted this sacrament. He was baptized in the Jordan River by Saint John the Baptist. The ceremony was deliberately carried out in water, since in the Bible water is a symbol of life, purity of spirit and body, and God's grace. It was not necessary for Jesus to be baptized personally, but in this way, by personal example, he demonstrated to people that they must begin their spiritual path. The consecration of water in the Jordan River occurred thanks to Jesus Christ; for this reason, the clergyman pronounces in prayer the call of the Holy Spirit to consecrate the water in the font.

As a rule, the baptismal ceremony is carried out in a church, but performing it at home also does not contradict the canons. The duration of the sacrament is about 45 minutes. And the name at baptism given to the baby is exclusively Christian.

Step-by-step description of the ritual:

It is also worth knowing that during baptism the baby is often immersed in water, but it is not prohibited to simply sprinkle or douse it with water. One person can only be baptized once during his life. This is explained by the fact that physically he cannot be born more than once.

Requirements for a godmother

The godmother should begin preparing for her role in this role much earlier than the ceremony itself. She will need not only knowledge of prayers, but also awareness of the very essence of Holy Baptism. This role can only be awarded to Orthodox woman guided in life by God's commandments. She needs to know a number of prayers: the Heavenly King, the Virgin Mary, Rejoice, the Creed and. They reflect the essence of the Christian faith.

A woman must have full awareness of the responsibility that is entrusted to her. After all, asking God for help in the development of the baby and in gratitude to him is now part of her responsibilities. The godmother must make every effort to ensure that the child becomes a religious person in adulthood.

As already indicated, during the baptism of an infant an essential place belongs to the godmother. She will bear on her shoulders most of the responsibility for the spiritual development of her godson according to the teachings of the Orthodox Church. On the one hand, this will require a lot of effort, but on the other hand, if you have tender feelings for your spiritual child, you will receive enormous grace from the faithful fulfillment of your assigned duties.

Preparing for baptism

Before the sacrament begins, the godmother must:

Taking care of both the gift for the godson and other things required to perform the sacrament also falls on the shoulders of the godmother:

White christening shirt - it can be plain cotton fabric or have openwork embroidery if the named parents so desire. According to tradition, the shirt is put on the child immediately after the sacrament. He wears it for eight days, after which it is removed and kept safe for the entire life of the person being baptized.
- it can be purchased either by one of the godparents or by mutual decision. It doesn’t matter whether the cross is made of precious material, the main thing is that it has a crucifix. In turn, it should not be removed from the child after the ceremony.
Towel - if possible, it should be large in size, due to its purpose: it will be used to wrap the baby after immersion in water during the ceremony. It is forbidden to wash it after the ceremony and the person being baptized must carefully store it throughout his life.

It is worth noting that the baptismal shirt and cross are often purchased directly from the church. If the cross was purchased at a jewelry store, it must first be blessed.

In addition to the above things, The godmother must ensure that the child’s parents do not forget to take:

As for the gift itself to the godson, according to tradition, on the day of Holy Baptism it is customary to give a cross, a small personalized icon or a silver spoon.

Responsibilities of the godmother at baptism

Responsibilities of the named mother both during the actual ceremony and after, may differ depending on the gender of the person being baptized.

Christening of a girl - before the ceremony begins, the named mother must learn prayers for the child, including the Creed. When baptizing a garment, she should wear a modest long dress, and her head should be covered with a scarf. Taking her goddaughter in her arms after lowering her into the water, the godmother must dress her in white clothes. She will also have to hold the baby in her arms while walking around the font, reading a prayer and anointing with oil. For a girl, having a spiritual mother is of great importance, because after biological parents, she is the one who is responsible for the baby, becoming her support and spiritual mentor in life.
Christening a boy - the main responsibilities of the godmother are the same as for the baptism of a girl. The only difference is that after immersion in the water, the child is taken in by the godfather. During the baptism of a boy, an important role is assigned not only to the named mother, but also to the father, who in the future should become his support in everything.

Responsibilities of the named mother after baptism

The named mother takes her godson on bail before the Almighty, responsible for education in the spirit of the true Christian faith:

So, by agreeing to become adoptive parents, the named parents become responsible for raising a godson or goddaughter in a Christian The duty of the said mother is in knowing and teaching the child righteous prayer, and independently reading prayers for the well-being of the baby. She should also prepare the child for first communion and teach him to attend church services. However, in modern society, a significant place is occupied by the so-called ritual belief, and not true faith in Christ: if the baptism of a newborn is a generally accepted norm, then it is necessary to baptize.

16.04.2018 1020 0

In some cases, it is impossible to do without godparents during baptisms performed in a church. But many people do not know why godparents are needed, or they make mistakes, which introduces misunderstandings into the baptism process.

What is baptism?

Baptism is one of the church sacraments, which marks a person’s arrival in the Church, his cleansing from sins, and his desire to unite with God. The peculiarity of this sacrament is that it is performed once in a lifetime; you cannot be baptized again. A person of any age from infant to old age is baptized in any church. Baptism occurs every day during the calendar year. The sacrament has a certain sequence, a baptized person receives the grace of the Holy Spirit in it, and after baptism can fully participate in church life.

The history of godparents

In the era of the emergence of Christianity, when as many people as possible sought to be baptized, the institution of godparents arose. Then they received a second name - receivers. They were entrusted with the responsibility not only to teach children (they were baptized in sufficient numbers) doctrinal truths, but also to become their teachers and educators if necessary. Accordingly, high demands were placed on their level of education and morality. Most often, they were not related by family ties to their godchildren; they had to reach a certain age and be free from monastic vows. This was the situation in the Roman Empire.

For people who wanted to be baptized in adulthood, an indispensable condition was the presence of a godparent, who guaranteed the seriousness of the intentions of the person being baptized, but the latter pronounced the vows independently, unlike children, for whom godparents did this. Then it was clear why a godfather was needed. It was needed for a boy. The answer to the question why a godmother is needed is also clear - the girl would not be baptized without her. Subsequently, the situation changed towards closer relations with blood relationships - the newly baptized person had to have godparents of both sexes.

This custom became widespread in Rus', where babies were most often baptized a few days after birth. The minimum age for godparents was fixed by the Synod and was 14 years old; there were also provisions according to which the godmother must be 13 years old, and the godfather must be 15 years old. The responsibilities of the godfather and mother were divided: the father was responsible for covering all financial expenses, and the mother had to prepare clothes for the godson/goddaughter.

Who needs godparents now?

These days, it is mandatory to have godparents for babies. There is no upper age limit; in church practice, godparents are usually needed for children under 14-15 years of age. In some cases, it is possible to have recipients up to the age of majority - 18 years. There is nothing wrong with the fact that godparents are people deeply immersed in church life and are ready to share their spiritual experience with their godson. The main thing is that this happens with the consent of both parties, and there is complete mutual understanding between them.

Sometimes they ask why godparents are needed when baptizing an adult. As a general rule, they are not needed, but sometimes people who are not recipients are present at baptism. Their task boils down to supporting a person entering Christian life and providing assistance in his first steps in the church. Priests note this as a positive trend.

Requirements for godparents

- Orthodox religion - people of other faiths cannot be godparents. Atheists who deny God cannot become recipients.
- Churching is a condition that, given the current rhythm of life, is often not possible to fulfill. Ideally, a person preparing to become a godfather should regularly attend church, participate in the sacraments, and know the basics of the Orthodox faith in order to pass them on to his godson.
- High moral qualities, in order for this person to be able to teach a child good things, the vices of modern society - alcoholism, drug addiction, smoking - must be alien to him.
- There is no consensus regarding the age of godparents. The average age is 14 years, but most often persons over 17 years of age are allowed to serve as godparents. There is no upper age limit.
- Currently, when baptizing, it is mandatory to have at least one godparent of the same gender as the child being baptized. Sometimes a godfather and godmother are invited.

- Blood parents cannot become godparents for their child. They are also not allowed to become foster children for one child. Future marriage between a godmother and father who met at a christening is not permitted.
- Relatives of children - grandparents, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts - have the right to be godparents. Often parents choose their friends or good acquaintances as godparents.

Sometimes there are opinions about why a godmother is needed if she is unmarried or pregnant. This is speculation and superstition - they can be full-fledged godmothers. You can be a godparent as many times as you like; godparents can have many godchildren.

Responsibilities of godparents

The explanation of why godparents are needed follows from a consideration of their duties. The responsibilities of godparents are divided into those that they are required to perform before and during baptism, and those that they must perform in the future.

The first group includes the following responsibilities:

- Before baptism, the godparents, and sometimes the child’s parents, must undergo public conversations at the church in which it is planned to baptize the child. Their form and duration are determined individually.

- The recipients pronounce the required vows in place of the baptized baby, say prayers: the Creed and the Our Father. It is advisable that they know more about Orthodoxy than is necessary within the sacrament of baptism.
- Godparents are not required to give gifts, but they can do so. A popular gift for babies is a small spoon, which will be the first spoon the baby will use to eat.

Understand why a child needs godparents after baptism , easy if you look at their responsibilities. They are divided into three groups:

- Prayerful - they should try to pray for their godchildren and teach them at least basic prayers.
- Doctrinal - to give the godchildren an idea of the Orthodox faith.
- Moral - to teach godchildren to behave according to their conscience and to be a worthy example for them.

Problems associated with godparents

There are several of them, some of them can be solved quite easily, since they are often far-fetched, while the other part requires serious thought.

- The degree of closeness between the family of the baptized child and the godparents. Situations arise when people who are completely strangers to the family are called to be godparents. Often this is done by a priest who finds a parishioner (parishioner) of this temple and asks them to become godparents for the child, because the parents could not find suitable people. This will end well provided that the family gets to know the godfather/godmother, and he/she will actively participate in the life of the godson/godson.
- Often, during baptism, the recipients know little about the Orthodox faith, so they have nothing to teach the baptized child. If they actively participate in church life and strive to learn new things, then the fulfillment of their duties can be considered successful.

- Sometimes there is a desire to introduce a godson to Orthodoxy, but the godparents live too far from him, so they cannot take him to church. It is better from the very beginning to try to choose those people who live close to you as godparents.
- Some parents become dissatisfied with the godfather or mother, perhaps without reason, and want to change them by baptizing the child. This procedure is unacceptable. It is desirable that there be a trusting relationship between the child’s blood and godparents. Also, some recipients want to abandon their responsibilities, but this cannot be done. Before baptism, it is necessary to carefully weigh everything and refuse the proposed mission - the baby’s parents should not be offended.
- Another problem that often arises is when the relatives of the child who is to be baptized are against it. This could even be one of the parents; this situation is undesirable. Baptism, secret from one of the parents, will complicate life for everyone in the future; a consensus must be reached even before the sacrament is performed.

Baptism is the most important sacrament for an Orthodox person. If it occurs in childhood, then the child has godparents, who, along with his blood parents, become close people to him. In spiritual terms, their connection is even greater, so godparents are required to be determined to fulfill their duties with full dedication, which can be quite difficult in the modern world.

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Baptism is the most significant event in the life of every Orthodox person. And of course, you need to take a responsible approach to choosing godparents. After all, they are second parents and play an important role in a person’s life. There are many superstitions about godparents. And many people wonder: who can be a godfather and who cannot. Let's try to answer the most frequently asked questions on this topic.

Can children be godparents?

According to church rules, children from the age of seven already bear full responsibility for their actions. They are no longer allowed to take communion without confession. Therefore, if a child is sufficiently churched, he can become a godfather. But when choosing a child as godparent, think carefully. The godmother or father must raise their godson in the Orthodox faith, and the child himself is still just learning the basics of Orthodoxy. Still, it is better to choose an adult, accomplished person as godparents. After all, if something happens to the child’s blood parents, the minor will not be able to take responsibility for the godson. If you nevertheless decide to take a minor as godparents, it is better that this is a child who has reached the age of 15.

Can there be one godfather?

There are situations when a christening has already been scheduled, an agreement has been made with the priest and guests have been invited, but one of the godparents cannot attend the baptism. Or you couldn’t find a second receiver at all. What to do in such a situation? The Church allows baptism with one godparent. The second one can be recorded in absentia on the baptismal certificate. But there is one important point here. When a girl is baptized, a godmother must be present, and for a male infant, a godfather must be present. During the sacrament, the godfather (of the same sex as the child) will pronounce on behalf of the baby a vow of renunciation of Satan and union with Christ, as well as the Creed.

Can a sister be a godmother?

If the sister is a believer, an Orthodox person, she can become a godmother. But it is desirable that the godmother is already quite an adult, because she will have to bear responsibility not only for herself, but also for her godson. Many who have adult sisters take them as godparents. After all, no one will take care of a godson like a loved one.

Can an ex-husband be a godfather?

It's more of a moral issue. If you have excellent friendly relations with your ex-husband, and he is not the natural father of your child, he can become a godfather. But if your ex-husband is the child’s natural father, then he cannot be the adopter, since natural parents cannot be the adopter of their child. Well, again, the godfather becomes practically a relative, so discuss with your current husband whether he will be against your such a close relationship with your ex-husband.

Can the godfather's wife be a godmother?

The godfather's wife cannot be a foster child if we are talking about the same baby, since the church prohibits spouses from being foster children of the same child. During the sacrament, they acquire a spiritual connection, which means that there cannot be an intimate relationship between them.

Can a brother be a godfather?

A sibling or cousin can become a godfather. The Church does not prohibit close relatives from being godparents. The only exceptions are the child's parents. Grandmothers, brothers, aunts and uncles can be godparents. The main thing is that these people are Orthodox, baptized, and take a responsible approach to fulfilling the duties of godparents. That is, to teach a child the basics of Orthodoxy and raise him to be a believer, an honest and decent person.

Can husband and wife be godparents?

During the baptismal ceremony, a woman and a man become spiritual relatives, which means they cannot be married. Because marriage implies physical intimacy, which cannot exist between spiritual parents.

If the godmother and godfather are spouses, they are prohibited from participating in the sacrament of baptism of one child. Moreover, a man and woman cannot baptize the same child if they are just planning to get married. If they do become godparents of one baby, they will have to give up close relationships in favor of raising a godson.

A husband and wife can baptize children from the same family. A man can become the godfather of one child, and the wife can become the godmother of another baby.

If a husband and wife unknowingly become the adoptive parents of the same child, the spouses need to contact the ruling bishop. As a rule, there are two ways out of this situation: recognition of the marriage as invalid, or the spouses will be given penance for a sin committed out of ignorance.

Who definitely cannot be a receiver?

Before choosing godparents for your baby, you need to know whom the church clearly prohibits from taking as godparents:

- the child’s blood parents;

- spouses;

- not baptized and atheists;

- people of other religions;

- monks;

- mentally retarded people;

- sectarians.

Choosing godparents is a very important point. And here you need to be guided primarily by the interests of the child, and not by your own. Often, best friends or “necessary” people are chosen as godparents, without really delving into how much the person belongs to the church.

If you want your child to be raised in the Orthodox faith, choose only believers who know prayers and regularly attend church services. If people do not visit the temple and believe, as they say from time to time, then great doubt arises about their serious attitude to the sacrament and their duties.

It often happens that people's paths diverge, and the godfather cannot take part in raising the godson. But he is still responsible for this child, so the recipient must pray for his godson or goddaughter all his life.

The sacrament of baptism is a great event in the life of every person, and especially for a child. All obligations that recipients undertake before God are very serious and responsible. That's why (this is very important) godparents, responsibilities who understand this responsibility, must convey to their godfather all the knowledge about the saving Sacraments of the Church, such as Confession and Communion, as well as convey knowledge about the meaning of worship. The responsibilities of godparents also include passing on knowledge about the meaning of the church calendar, the miracles of church icons and other shrines.

Responsibilities of godparents - how to do it correctly and what to do?

As soon as the child plunges into the font, from that moment on, responsibility passes to the recipients. Now the “second” parents will have to attend church and services together with the baby, teach
comply with the Church Rules. But the main thing is to pray for your godson both in joy and in sorrow. Always be there in difficult times. What exactly are the main responsibilities of godparents at baptism? They must give them more from the font or help them find a new path in life. The godfather must buy a cross. As a rule, a chain is not bought, since according to customs the baby wears a cross on a string or ribbon. Just like every conscious believer, recipients need to know the following prayers: “Our Father”, “Creed”, “Virgin Mother of God”!

Parents, as well as the godson, must be prepared for the Sacrament of baptism. Recipients must know the basics of Orthodox teaching, as well as have a pious attitude towards the rules of Christian piety. Such important events as Fasting, Confession and Communion for godparents are not strictly obligatory, but the believer must adhere to them. All this must be competently transferred to the godson. If he is a baby, then love for the church will be instilled from a conscious age. A very good sign will be the reading of the Creed prayer by one of the recipients. For a godson, the prayer is read according to gender: for a girl - the godmother, for a boy - the father.

Before Baptism, it is advisable to confess, because it is important that not only your thoughts are pure, but also your soul. There must be blessed crosses on the body. Those invited must bring donations to the church. This is not necessary, but you should not neglect customs.

Godparents should know about such responsibilities!

From this day on, the godparents must protect the godson from all kinds of temptations and enticements. This is precisely what is most dangerous for children and adolescents. In the future, a godparent can help with choosing a profession. Important will be advice when choosing a life partner. The Russian Church teaches that it is the chosen successors who prepare the wedding for the godson. It is worth noting that even in case of physical suffering, godparents should provide assistance and this is done first, and brothers, sisters, grandparents help only then! Spiritual connection is stronger than physical!

The responsibilities of godparents for a girl are no different from those for a boy. However, girls are given a little more attention, as they are taught humility and faith, which directly leads to submission. For a girl, the chosen godmother is the second closest person, because she can replace the physical mother. The mother's responsibilities include buying a kryzhma or rizka - this is a special towel in which the baby is wrapped after the bath.

If godparents take their responsibilities lightly, then this becomes a grave spiritual sin. This is what will pass on to the fate of the chosen godson. Do not become a godson if you cannot take on such great responsibility; you should not accept the invitation to become a second godson. Physical parents should also not take rejection as neglect or insult. After all godparents responsibilities must be performed fully and with a pure soul.

Please note that all people must be churchgoers, otherwise: how can a godson go to church with his godparent? All main
the positions that should be instilled in the godson are love, humility, forbearance, patience and continuous work in the spiritual education of your child - all these are the main ones responsibilities of godparents! All this is also the main proof of the truth of Orthodoxy for the godson and for his successors.

You can learn in advance how to behave correctly in church during the Sacrament of Baptism. Mainly, you need to buy the right baptismal set. If one of the parents buys it, it will not be considered a mistake. What is important is the meaning of the reception itself; presence during the celebration of the Sacrament is important. Of course, both parents must give their consent. Without godparents, baptism is performed only in special cases, for example, if the child's life may be in serious danger.

More about godparents

The sacrament of baptism relates a person to the One Apostolic Church. Orthodox teaching has its own certain doctrinal principles, from which one cannot deviate. That is why only people of the same faith can become guarantors of a godson. The recipients assume the responsibility to educate only the Orthodox faith. A person with other religions simply cannot do this.

As soon as baptism takes place, parents and baby will become spiritually closer and become related. This is mandatory; godparents fulfill their duties in full. And such spiritual kinship belongs to the first degree and is fully recognized by the church and its canons!

It is worth noting that such a relationship becomes stronger than biological. Between themselves, these two concepts become practically incompatible. An important point is that parents who adopt a child cannot become godparents for him. This is explained by the fact that they will find the closest family connection with each other and will not be able to continue their marital cohabitation.

Since ancient Rus', our country has had a tradition of baptizing children, without giving them the opportunity to choose another faith.

Thus, in Russia, the majority of citizens adhere to the Orthodox faith.

In order to baptize a child, it is necessary to choose godparents. And the Orthodox Church strictly sets the requirements for who can be godparents, so it is important to know and follow these rules.

The sacrament itself is performed directly in the church. There are no age restrictions for joining Orthodoxy, so this ritual can be performed by a person at any age.

But according to Russian customs, parents of newborns try to baptize their children in the first year of life. Thus, they place their baby under the protection of the Almighty.

Godparents must be present during the baptism ceremony. They are considered to be people who are in spiritual closeness with their godson. They should be the child's mentors in the future.

At the same time, it is believed that it is not at all necessary that there be two parents. One is enough, but for boys there must be a godfather, and for girls a godmother.

The presence of the parents in the church is not necessary, but if the child is small, then it will be much calmer for him to be close to his family in an unfamiliar place.

During the baptism process, the godparent must hold the child and be constantly with him. If the baby is small, then he is completely immersed in holy water.

If a person is already an adult, then he simply must plunge his head three times into holy water. After bathing the child, the godparent must pick him up, dry him and put on new clothes.

Before choosing godparents for your child, as well as agreeing to become a godfather for someone, it is important to understand the very essence of this rite and your further responsibilities towards the godson.

You cannot simply attend the ceremony and then forget about the responsibility to the child that is assigned by faith.

Baptism itself is called the second birth of a person. At this moment his spiritual world is born. Since faith implies that the life of the soul does not end after death, being in a human body, it should not accumulate sins within itself.

That is why the church imposes the following responsibilities on godparents:

The problem of many families in the modern world is that their children undergo the rite of baptism, but in fact they do not see the embodiment of Christian ideas in the family.

If the family is not involved in the faith, and even more so if the basic commandments are violated, it will be much more difficult for the child to perceive life in accordance with these commandments.

Most churches now do not perform the baptism ceremony until the godparents have completed special courses.

This measure was created so that people are aware of the full responsibility of this step and are able to refuse before they assume their responsibilities to the Almighty.

After completing the courses, people become truly ready for the sacrament, and they understand what they should do after baptism throughout their lives.

Knowing all the responsibilities assigned to godparents, you need to choose those people who are most suitable for fulfilling them.

But it is also important to consider certain points:

The religion of the godparents themselves.
Family connection with the future godson.
The family connection between the godparents themselves.
Special periods for women.
Age of godparents.

To take these features into account, you need to know who cannot be godparents according to church laws:

The question also often arises about whether it is possible to be pregnant at the sacrament of baptism? The Church does not prohibit the entry of women carrying a child under their hearts, and also does not prohibit becoming a godmother.

Knowing all these features, as well as your close circle of friends and family, it can be quite difficult to choose someone.

Very often it turns out that among the possible options for godparents there are the same people for many relatives and friends.

Therefore, it turns out that the same person is often offered to become godfather several times for different children.

And two main questions arise:

This is why courses for godparents, now organized by many churches, are important. Because, despite the fact that in 2019 it is becoming increasingly fashionable to baptize a child, as well as assign him influential godparents, the most important thing is forgotten, this is the essence of baptism itself.

The financial status of the appointed godparent is not so important as his lifestyle, which must comply with biblical covenants.

The godparent must be a spiritual mentor and show his godson by example how to live and what spiritual principles must be observed in any situation.

It is also important to know that you cannot change godparents after baptism.. Chosen parents become parents for life. Sometimes it happens that after baptism the godparent greatly changed his lifestyle for the worse.

But in this case, the godson himself and his parents must pray for the godparent’s deliverance from sins and try to put him on the right path.

No one has the right to refuse such a godparent. It is impossible to re-baptize. Therefore, it is very important to choose reliable godparents for your children.

However, in cases where the godparent renounced Orthodoxy, accepted another faith, or became an atheist, then such a sacred union will be considered dissolved.

Similarly, we can evaluate those cases when the godparent has sunk to the most forbidden sins, which are prohibited by the Testaments.

In this case, it is implied that this person does not want to live according to the precepts of the Bible, and also does not want to be an example for his godson.

In this case, the natural parents can ask other godly people to take charge of their child's spiritual lifestyle. It is imperative to inform the holy father about this situation before the ceremony itself.

Many godparents like to pamper their godchildren with expensive gifts in order to win their favor and bring them closer spiritually.

But you need to understand that this is not the purpose of godparents. Parents should not choose godparents based on the size of their wallet.

The best gifts that the church mentions are:

This is exactly what gifts from godparents to their godchildren should look like. But besides this, the church does not prohibit giving other gifts that will delight the child. But still, the main emphasis should be placed on the spiritual education of the godson.

It is also believed that the most important date for giving is the name day of the godson’s guardian angel. During the sacrament of baptism, a person who converts to Orthodoxy receives a second name.

It may coincide with his real name, if this name is in the Orthodox book of names. And if the name is missing, then the child will be assigned a different name from this book.

Each such name has a name day date. If the selected name has several dates during the year when name days are celebrated, the date closest to the Orthodox person’s birthday is selected. It is on this date that godparents must give gifts to their godson.

Knowing all the nuances of the sacrament, as well as the requirements of the church for godparents, it is important to approach the choice of a godparent very responsibly.

It is better to make them a responsible relative than an influential family friend. Because financial values in this case are not as important as spiritual ones.