The Barefoot Celebrant
Baby naming ceremonies
A naming ceremony is an extremely important rite of passage in any culture, firmly linking a child with its family and cultural background. It plays the role of affirming the arrival of a child as a welcomed and valued addition to both the close and wider community.
Non-religious ceremonies give children the opportunity to choose their own spiritual direction later in life.
​
People choose to have naming ceremonies for a variety of reasons:
-
To welcome the child into their family and community
-
To formally announce their chosen name, explain the meaning of the name, and its significance
-
To make sworn promises to nurture, support and educate the child so that they become an independent, contributing adult in society
-
To formally express the parents’ wishes for the child’s future
-
To nominate other significant adults to support the child and allow them to express their commitment to this special relationship
-
To blend two families so that a new family unit is created
-
To provide a non-religious alternative to a traditionally religious rite