how old should kids be baptised?

[tweety234]

How old should kids be baptised?

[88Devin12]

How old should kids be baptised?

Soon after their birth, isn't it 40 days?

[tweety234]

How old should kids be baptised?

Soon after their birth, isn't it 40 days?

Then why do most people baptise them after 1 year?

[88Devin12]

How old should kids be baptised?

Soon after their birth, isn't it 40 days?

Then why do most people baptise them after 1 year?

Most people I've known do it after 40 days if not a little bit longer.

I think some people are afraid the child will get some ill effects from inhaling water. My last priest had a technique of blowing air in their face, which causes them to inhale (or hold their breath), and usually they never open their mouths underwater. From what he said, doing what he does, he's only had 1 baby ever open his mouth underwater during a baptism.

[Quinault]

Our priest likes to do baptisms/chrismations twice a year (around Lazarus Saturday, and in December). You can request that it be done earlier, but in general he prefers to do larger groups twice a year.

Our son Taz was baptized at 6 weeks because that was how old he was Lazarus Saturday. Our daughter Ari was baptized around 5.5 months because that was how old she was in the December following her birth. The next child we have will likely be somewhere around 7 months old when they are baptized, because that is how old they will be this December. Our son Ollie was about 10 months old when our family was baptized into the Orthodox church, because that is how old he was that Lazarus Saturday.

Ideally the sooner a baby is baptized the better.

[Kerdy]

How old should kids be baptised?

Whenever the Church dictates.

[Tikhon.of.Colorado]

It really seems to differ based on the priest.

I have an Orthodox friend who wasn't baptized until age 2, when her mother saved enough to take her back to Poland and baptize her with her family there.

I, however, was baptized when I was 4 months old.  It's a family tradition do baptize infants on Christmas Eve, and that's how old I was.

[Shanghaiski]

It can be sooner than the churching even.

[JamesR]

8 days after birth to replace circumcision.

[tweety234]

8 days after birth to replace circumcision.

what circumcision? are you jewish all of a sudden?

[LBK]

How old should kids be baptised?

Soon after their birth, isn't it 40 days?

It can be done sooner than that, even if there is no emergency. Like Shanghaiski said.

[LBK]

How old should kids be baptised?

Soon after their birth, isn't it 40 days?

Then why do most people baptise them after 1 year?

Because just about every Greek I know wants to throw an almighty celebration extravaganza with dozens of people invited, after the ceremony, and such events take time to organize. I'm not being sarcastic. I've been to Greek baptism parties where a couple of hundred were present, a live band playing music, and other frou-frou normally seen at wedding receptions.

Compare this to the many Russians I know, who baptize their babies no later than three months, and most within 4-6 weeks, and have a simple get-together afterwards with the nearest and dearest.

Not only is it spiritually beneficial for a bub to be baptized early, but it's so much more practical. It's MUCH easier to do the honors with a little baby, than to fight a boisterous squirming and much larger one-year-old (and often older, yes, it happens too often) to get him into the font. And another bonus: the very little ones almost never cry, in my experience.

[Kerdy]

8 days after birth to replace circumcision.

what circumcision? are you jewish all of a sudden?

You really believe this is restricted only to Jews?

[LBK]

8 days after birth to replace circumcision.

what circumcision? are you jewish all of a sudden?

Geez, Tweety! Baptism is the Christian replacement for OT circumcision. It's in St Paul's letters, and in Acts.

[Agabus]

Our last child's baptism was moved from 40 days because the priest wasn't going to be there, and then twice more because godfamily or family could not be there. Finally, we set a fourth date and had the baptism despite the fact that a hurricane was blowing strong that morning.

[Asteriktos]

[LBK]

Our last child's baptism was moved from 40 days because the priest wasn't going to be there, and then twice more because godfamily or family could not be there. Finally, we set a fourth date and had the baptism despite the fact that a hurricane was blowing strong that morning.

Genuine logistical reasons like these for delaying a baptism are quite understandable. But, all too often, baptisms are delayed for far, far too long, and purely for the reasons I mentioned in my earlier post.

[Santagranddad]

From what I have witnessed baptising very young babies is a whole lot less traumatic than waiting too long.

[88Devin12]

How old should kids be baptised?

Soon after their birth, isn't it 40 days?

It can be done sooner than that, even if there is no emergency. Like Shanghaiski said.

Isn't the mother "supposed" to stay home for the first 40 days and not enter the church? She wouldn't "technically" be able to attend her child's baptism.

[88Devin12]

8 days after birth to replace circumcision.

what circumcision? are you jewish all of a sudden?

You really believe this is restricted only to Jews?

I agree, circumcision has apparently been shown to have positive health benefits and such to the person when they grow older. So they may indeed circumcise and it not be a religious thing.

[Alpo]

How old should kids be baptised?

Soon after their birth, isn't it 40 days?

Why to delay it that late. I'd say children should be baptized as soon as possible.

[Michał Kalina]

Isn't the mother "supposed" to stay home for the first 40 days and not enter the church? She wouldn't "technically" be able to attend her child's baptism.

Baptism are not always done in churches. And even if, so what?

[Jonathan]

How old should kids be baptised?

Soon after their birth, isn't it 40 days?

Why to delay it that late. I'd say children should be baptized as soon as possible.

Current Coptic service books dictate 40 days for males, and 80 days for females. My priest said that traditionally it was around a month or 40 days for both genders, with no difference between sexes. The reason for waiting this long, and for the mother not going to church until then is not because she is ritually unclean because of giving birth, but because infection has traditionally been a very real risk, and it was best for mother and baby to stay home that long before venturing out. There is a prayer for the mother when she returns to church after this period. Because the time frame is close to the OT 40 day period, in more recent times the connection to this has been needlessly strengthened by forcing an 80 day wait for female babies. There is no male or female in Christ, there is no difference in a male baptism and a female baptism, it's one mystery. My priest will baptise a baby of either gender as soon as mother and baby are up to it. Though of course enough time should pass for all bleeding to stop, since we should make ourselves pure in spirit and body before approaching the mysteries.
 
My son was baptised about a week past 40 days so my family could make it. I certainly wouldn't have deprived my son of the mysteries for a year to arrange a party or allow family to make it. We had some food in the church hall afterwards. There's no need to spend a ton of time or money to be joyful and rejoice.

[Nigula Qian Zishi]

My next son, Cyril, who will be born on April 1, will be baptized on the 40th day, which will be his name's day. In Russia, many times on the 8th day the Godparents will collect the child and take him or her to church and have her Baptized without the mother present, who returns on the 40th day for churching. My son Daniel was baptized on his 100th day, which is a very important day in Chinese culture.

[Nephi]

Because just about every Greek I know wants to throw an almighty celebration extravaganza with dozens of people invited, after the ceremony, and such events take time to organize. I'm not being sarcastic. I've been to Greek baptism parties where a couple of hundred were present, a live band playing music, and other frou-frou normally seen at wedding receptions.

Reminds me of the Italian Catholics shown on TV having huge wedding-sized celebrations for their children's first communion.

[Agabus]

8 days after birth to replace circumcision.

what circumcision? are you jewish all of a sudden?

You really believe this is restricted only to Jews?

I agree, circumcision has apparently been shown to have positive health benefits and such to the person when they grow older.

Must. Resist. Medical circumcision. Debate.

[tweety234]

8 days after birth to replace circumcision.

what circumcision? are you jewish all of a sudden?

Geez, Tweety! Baptism is the Christian replacement for OT circumcision. It's in St Paul's letters, and in Acts.

tell that to jamesR. I know that already.

[tweety234]

8 days after birth to replace circumcision.

what circumcision? are you jewish all of a sudden?

You really believe this is restricted only to Jews?

I agree, circumcision has apparently been shown to have positive health benefits and such to the person when they grow older. So they may indeed circumcise and it not be a religious thing.

yes. That is correct.

[Tikhon.of.Colorado]

Because just about every Greek I know wants to throw an almighty celebration extravaganza with dozens of people invited, after the ceremony, and such events take time to organize. I'm not being sarcastic. I've been to Greek baptism parties where a couple of hundred were present, a live band playing music, and other frou-frou normally seen at wedding receptions.

Reminds me of the Italian Catholics shown on TV having huge wedding-sized celebrations for their children's first communion.

You should see Polish Catholic families!  (that's Poles who are Catholic, not members of the Polish Catholic Church, btw.)

[LBK]

How old should kids be baptised?

Soon after their birth, isn't it 40 days?

It can be done sooner than that, even if there is no emergency. Like Shanghaiski said.

Isn't the mother "supposed" to stay home for the first 40 days and not enter the church? She wouldn't "technically" be able to attend her child's baptism.

The mother isn't required to attend a child's baptism. And, as Michal said, baptisms can be done anywhere, it's not necessary for it to be in a church. Many Russians I know were baptized at home by a priest when they were less than 40 days old.

[Quinault]

Since you aren't supposed to give baby a bath until the umbilical stump falls off, you should wait until it falls off to do the baptism I imagine (unless you sprinkle/pour).

Taz had to have the pour method of baptism. He had just been released from the NICU shortly before his baptism (IIRC he was released on a Tuesday, and baptized on a Saturday). He had been on a ventilator due to respiratory failure caused by RSV. Our priest was not comfortable immersing him completely, so he just poured water over Tazzy's head. We didn't know until the Wednesday before whether our doctor would give his medical "blessing" so to speak for Taz to be baptized.

After the next baby is born I plan to stay home for 40-60 days as much as possible. Fortunately RSV season is over by May/June. But it will be difficult to avoid going out altogether with an 8 person household. We have to eat at some point! If only there were self restocking refrigerators.

[Seraphim98]

St. Theophan the Recluse said that if a child was to be raised in a genuinely devout home, then it should be done as an infant. For the baptism of infants presumes the child will be raised in a devout environment and grow to love Christ from his mother's bosom.  If, however, the home is not particularly devout it is better to wait until the child is old enough to know a few simple prayers and desire baptism for himself.

[Michał Kalina]

I was baptised when I was 2-day-old. I wonder how many of you can beat it.

[pmpn8rGPT]

8 days after birth to replace circumcision.

what circumcision? are you jewish all of a sudden?

You really believe this is restricted only to Jews?

I agree, circumcision has apparently been shown to have positive health benefits and such to the person when they grow older. So they may indeed circumcise and it not be a religious thing.

there are rumors of ultra-orthodox Jews living up to 108 years old as the norm.  One could take the "Barnabus interpretation" of OT Scripture as I do but I find all of the health benefits for the literal interpretation to be a little strange.  

[pmpn8rGPT]

as far as the OP goes, I believe fourty days is the norm but I think the the eight day interpretation is also fine

[LBK]

I was baptised when I was 2-day-old. I wonder how many of you can beat it.

If it was a non-emergency baptism, that's pretty impressive, even for a Slav. 

[JamesR]

lol my baptism is fresher than all of yours!!!

[Michał Kalina]

I was baptised when I was 2-day-old. I wonder how many of you can beat it.

If it was a non-emergency baptism, that's pretty impressive, even for a Slav. 

It was an emergency baptism It was not sure I would make it or not. My twinbrother didn't.

[Asteriktos]

lol my baptism is fresher than all of yours!!!

You do realise that you just put yourself down, don't you? 

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