Islam
pending
ceremonies
Birth and naming
Every faith welcomes a new child with words of faith, a name chosen with care and a gathering of family and community.
Christianity
Baptism or christening; dedication
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happens
Most churches baptise babies with water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, with godparents promising to help raise the child in faith. Baptist and Pentecostal churches dedicate the baby instead and baptise later, when the person believes for themselves.
why
Baptism washes away sin and welcomes the child into the Church; it marks a new life in Christ.
origins
Jesus's command, "baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19). Infant baptism is recorded from the early centuries; believers' baptism grew from the Anabaptists of the 1500s. "Christening" means making Christian.
Judaism
Brit milah; naming
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happens
Baby boys are circumcised on the eighth day at a brit milah and named during the ceremony. Girls are named in the synagogue, often at a celebration called a simchat bat. A firstborn son may be "redeemed" from a cohen at 31 days (pidyon haben).
why
The covenant (brit) between God and Abraham's descendants is marked on the body; a Hebrew name links the child to family and tradition.
origins
Genesis 17:10–12; pidyon haben from Numbers 18:15–16. Many Ashkenazi Jews name children after relatives who have died; many Sephardi Jews after living grandparents.
Hinduism
pending
Buddhism
Blessing at the temple
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happens
There is no required ceremony. In many Buddhist countries parents take a new baby to the temple, where monks chant blessings, tie protective strings and sometimes help choose the name.
why
To bring the child under the protection of the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, and to make merit for the family.
origins
Cultural practice that varies between Theravada (e.g. Sri Lanka, Thailand), Mahayana (China, Vietnam) and Tibetan Buddhism.
Sikhism
Naam Karan
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happens
The family takes the baby to the gurdwara. The Guru Granth Sahib is opened at random, and the first letter of the first hymn on the page (the hukamnama) gives the first letter of the child's name. Boys add Singh and girls add Kaur. Karah prashad (a sweet offering) is shared.
why
The child's name is received from the Guru, and the shared names show that all Sikhs are equal, without caste.
origins
The names Singh ("lion") and Kaur ("princess") come from Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. The rite is set out in the Sikh Rehat Maryada (the Sikh code of conduct).
customs
Naming on the 7th or 8th day
Found in Islam, Judaism and many African cultures. A common explanation is that in times of high infant mortality, families waited until the baby was strong before naming it.
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Shaving the baby's head
Islam's aqiqah and the Hindu mundan; seen as a fresh start and an act of cleanliness.
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Godparents
Early Christian sponsors who vouched for adults being baptised; later, for babies.
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regional
Krio, Sierra Leone
"Pull na door": about a week after birth the baby is brought out of the house for the first time, named, and blessed by family and friends.
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China
The full-month celebration: dyed red eggs are given to friends to share the family's joy.
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culture
cultureNote