christening traditions..................?
458434
Actually, the gift that you are giving the godparents is your child. Traditionally, if anything happened to you and your spouse, the godparents would get your children, and your estate to be used in the raising of them.\n\nToday that often doesn't hold true. But you are still giving your child to these people, insomuch as you are holding them accountable for being a religous influence in your child's life. And, assuming they are not blood relatives, they now are mambers of the child's family.\n\nTraditionally, they give the child a gift, not the other way around.\n\nBut recently people have taken to giving everyone gifts: hostesses give guests a gift, a couple getting married gives a gift to every guest. I personally find the practice to be over-the-top, but if you choose to give a gift, keep it small and personal, and present it quietly before the service.\n\nIf you go to extremes and are the first in your generation to have a christening, then you are setting a standard which your relatives may feel bad about not living up to in the future.
17336
My mom's side of the family is from Norway, so we all gather around the piano at her house (my uncle plays-- it's nice to have a concert pianist in the family!) and we sing traditional Norwegian Christmas songs, in addition to regular carols.  Music is a huge part of our Christmas tradition.\nMy fiance's family is Italian, so we do the 7 fishes on Christmas Eve, and make a tour of all his friends houses like he always did when he was a kid.\nWe also started our own tradition of opening presents naked in bed... tee hee.
841504
sigh...\nall pagan holidays should be avoided, but as long as you are not worshipping a tree, there's no reason you cannot decorate one and celebrate the birth of Christ\n\npeace
837764
Eating traditional turkey dinner. Going around the neighborhood to watch the lights put up by house owners. Decorating my friend's Christmas Tree, as I live in an apartment, so no room for a BIG Christmas Tree. This year, it's my first time helping my church to decorate the santuary for Christmas. Other than that, not much, as my family doesn't celebrate Christmas. :-(
814834
what did you and your husband discuss before you were married?  If you agreed at that point to have the children baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church, then I guess you should do what you said.  But otherwise, this really has nothing to do with your inlaws, it is between you and your husband.  I am Catholic too, and Greek orthodox is pretty darn close to Catholicism, and, if it makes you feel better, the baby can be baptized in their Church and still raised Catholic.  A baptism really initiates the child as a Christian,and their is no "re-baptism" anyway.  But really, if you plan to raise the child Catholic, then it just makes since to baptize in your own parish church.  This inlaw thing will only get worse if you cave on this point, stand up for what you believe now and set a precident.  good luck!
384691
Going to church for today. We did an Easter egg hunt earlier in the week with my two married sisters and their children. After three rounds of the children finding the eggs the adults hid, the fourth round was reversed, and adults had to find the (hard-boiled) eggs the children hid. It was hard! There's still one somewhere in the living room we couldn't find! Usually we celebrate Easter with reading part of the New Testament or Book of Mormon about Christ's death and resurrection. My little brother is 18 and too old for Easter baskets. My mom used to make "bunny bread" in the shape of a large bunny, or bunny rolls which included a little "tail" in the middle.
640828
Well, if it's a baby that is being baptized, maybe a photo frame with a photo of the event?  If it's an older child or adult, a greeting card with a gift certificate or gift card from a local Christian bookstore would be good.  If you know the person well, you shouldn't have any trouble finding a gift (with a religious theme) that fits with the person's individual tastes in a local Christian bookstore.  Also, don't be shy when it comes to asking a sales clerk at the store.
1187858
I'm not sure what your question is.\n\nKneeling in worship of God is a longstanding Christian tradition.\n\nWith love in Christ.
930770
here is a website on etiquette for starters\n\nhttp://ourmarriage.com/html/wedding_etiquette.html
522409
Does your church have gowns that you are baptized in? The church I was baptized in did? If not--You can wear short, just make sure you have dark clothing on & you shouldn't have anything to worry about.\n\nCONGRATULATIONS MY SISTER ON YOUR NEW LIFE!!!!\n\nYou have just made the best & most important decision of your life---and you made the right one!!!
755308
You can come to the Lord's church, the church of Christ is and has been around since it's beginingand is there for those who want salvation. We are not a denomination and never have been. We in the church don't baptize babies since it is not needed. Children are innocent just as Christ said and as the Bible proclaims(Deuteronomy 24:16, Ezekiel 18:20, Matthew 18:3, 6, 19: 13-15, Mark 10:13-16, Luke 18:15-17, Romans 14:12). Below are a couple of links to help you I hope they help. Please take a good look at the link called evangilism update. \n\nGod Bless,\n\nChris
247719
yes, Remember this. Is not who the parents are that countsa. Its who raises them correctly and nourishgly with love that counts. good luck and much wisdom
457976
romadgo..utter rubbish!...Nothing wrong in common law marriages, I do not live in the US, I am pagan and as a pagan I got 'wed' we had a handfastening ceremony.  Just because its not recognised by law doesnt mean it doesnt work.  Many of my friends live with their life partner, and have kids. A piece of paper doesnt keep you together, love does
329486
:{\nIve heard that the Easter bunny is an unfortunate hold over from previous pagan religious celebrations of birth, it goes well however with the concept of Christian rebirth
140460
Many of the Eastern European customs that follow the wedding ceremony are meant to deliver the couple to their new home and to help them establish a domestic partnership. Here are just a few of the colorful traditions.\n\nTHE FIRST STEP\nIn Romanian villages, the women watch the newlyweds as they emerge from the church; if the bride steps out first, she will rule the household. This hearkens back to a time when the couple would have been presented with a circular loaf of bread with a hole in the middle. The couple would look up at the sky through the hole and then break it in half. Like a domestic wishbone, whoever got the larger piece would be dominant in the home.\n\nPASSING THE TORCH\nYugoslavian Krusevacs journey to the house of the groom's parents after the ceremony. There, in front of all the guests, the bride must sit on her mother-in-law's lap while a young man from the groom's party sprinkles water from a pitcher onto the floor. This signifies the transfer of the mother's role as the groom's caregiver to his new wife. For his part in the service, the young man is given a pair of socks by the bride -- what a lucky guy.\n\nBABY FEVER\nLatvian grooms observe the custom of carrying the bride over the threshold -- only with an added twist. A plate is placed on the threshold, upside down and covered with a linen towel. As the groom carries the bride over, he steps on the plate, breaking it. Legend has it that the number of pieces it breaks into determines how many children they will have. This is usually an occasion to tease the newlyweds, since the plate shatters into dozens of pieces. Later, the bride might be presented with a small tub of warm water and a naked doll with mustard smeared on its behind so that she may prove that she will be able to bathe her children.\n\nIN ITALY ...\n\nWhen: In Italy, wedding festivities usually kick off in the morning, ideally on a Sunday. According to regional Italian folklore, you should never marry (or leave for your honeymoon) on a Friday or Tuesday, or you’re bound to have loads of bad luck, while Saturdays are reserved for widows getting hitched to husband number two (or three, or four ...).\nAttire: Don’t bother with makeup since in addition to a white gown, you’ll wear a veil -- a symbol of virginity (don’t worry, it’s just for show). Tearing the veil, however, is considered good luck (Why? Just use your imagination). Meanwhile, the groom can lug a piece of iron (preferably a small one) in his pocket to ward off evil spirits.\nActivities: Traditional Italian brides and grooms forgo the limo and make it to the chapel on foot. In certain villages, residents throw symbolic obstacles in your path to suss out your future as man and wife: If a broom lands at your feet and you pick it up, for example, you’ll be one helluva housecleaner. After the wedding ceremony, the couple shatters a glass or vase -- and does their best to pulverize it, since the number of pieces represents the amount of years they’ll stay happily married. If someone hands you a double-handed saw, you and the groom must cut a log in half to prove you can work together without driving each other insane.\nThe Food: A roasted baby pig or lamb accompanied by wanda, bow ties of fried dough dipped in powdered sugar. Women sip Marsala wine, men guzzle the much stronger grappa (go ahead and guess who’s in store for a hangover). Confetti -- sugar-covered almonds (or Jordan almonds, as we know them) representing the bitter and sweet of life -- serves as snacks or, yes, projectiles thrown at the newlyweds as they make their exit.\nThe Music: Possibly a jaunty jig called the tarantella. Legend has it that a woman who was once bitten by a poisonous tarantula cured herself by shakin’ her booty better than Beyoncé on a very good day. The least it can do for you is to keep you from passing out due to too much Marsala.\nAdded Perk: Money -- lots of it. Forget toasters and towels: Guests place col
611113
Actually the practice was quite common in colonial times.  You usually found a child named for the father and one named for the mother.  It seems to have gone out of practice near 1900.  There is nothing wrong with it.
711889
Yes! My church does this every year. It's such a great ministry. These kids have nothing compared to us. It's a wonderful opportunity to be involved in something like this.