the.com/christening
A baby's first party where they remember nothing and someone else picks their name.
means A Christian ceremony of baptism in which an infant is formally named and welcomed into the church, also used loosely for any ritual naming or first use of a thing.
from From Old English 'cristnian,' meaning 'to make Christian' — built on 'Christ,' which traces through Latin and Greek back to a word meaning 'anointed one.' The '-en' ending is the same verb-forming piece you hear in 'sharpen' or 'strengthen,' so a christening literally 'Christens' someone. The extension to launching ships and naming new things — breaking a bottle against a hull — borrows the ceremony's flavour of a fresh start blessed by name.
- ship origin
- Champagne bottles smashed on hulls echo this ancient blessing
- holy water
- Pouring water symbolizes washing away original sin
- godparents
- Spiritual backup contacts assigned at birth
- royal gown
- British royals reuse a christening robe over a century old
- early timing
- Historically done fast due to high infant mortality
uss north carolina christening — battleship christened by first lady eleanor roosevelt in 1940
titanic christening — ocean liner christened by viscountess pirrie in belfast, 1911