what does one politely say at a christening?

[unblock]

i fear "mazel tov" might not be taken in the spirit in which it was intended....

"congratulations" doesn't seem right either?

and please don't let it be "god bless you", mrs. unblock's skin starts to smoke if she even HEARS that phrase....


any ideas?

[Gothic Sponge]

1. Happy superstition?

[unblock]

3. hey, i'm TRYING to be culturally sensitive, here!

[Reverend_Smitty]

7. ROFL!!!

thats pretty funny!! I guess congratulations is the best thing to say in this case...although it depends on how well you know these people. If it were me, someone saying mozel tov would make me laugh, and I wouldn't be offended at that...but thats just me.

[Bertha Venation]

2. "thank you for sharing this event with us"

or "it's been wonderful to see your joy in this day"

[zuzu98]

Very nice!

:)

[unblock]

9. how diplomatic!

very nice, indeed!

[blondeatlast]

13. Thank you. I'm Christian; you don't have to embrace something

in which you don't believe.

Just be genuinely happy in the promise of new life.

[Cerridwen]

4. I'm curious why "congratulations"

doesn't seem right.

I think that's what I've said at christenings I've attended.

edited to add:

I like

Bertha Venation's suggestion: "thank you for sharing this event with us"

[unblock]

8. just because it's more about the baby than the parents

i would think congratulations would be directed to the baby, so what does one then say to the parents?

but if congratulations is the proper thing to say, then i'll certainly be happy to say it!

[Cerridwen]

12. Ah, gotcha.

I guess I just think of it as congratulations on having a healthy happy baby whom you are bringing in to your faith as a sign of your faith.

But, just my take. I'm light-years away from an formal, traditional religious experience.

Either way, have fun and I hope mrs. unblock doesn't get an upset tummy from too much god talk.

[Bat Boy]

23. Then say it to the baby...

I can pretty much guarantee it will get a laugh, or at least a nice chuckle, without being in the slightest bit offensive.

[CanuckAmok]

5. too bad you can't make your head spin right 'round at will...

that'd be cool.

[Rowdyboy]

6. I can't imagine why "congratulations" wouldn't be appropriate

but, if it makes you uncomfortable, say nothing at all. The baby won't care.

If references to God make your wife unhappy, it might be better not to go at all. It is primarily a religious observance and she might hear a bit more about God than she'd be comfortable with.

on edit: Bertha's is an excellent answer. Just say you're happy for them-thats all that matters.

[unblock]

11. neighbors. everyone on the block's going.

it's also an outdoor barbeque, so mrs. unblock's smoking skin will be disguised well, she'll just stand next to the grill. besides, i think the 'god' references are supposed to be kept very brief.

[Rowdyboy]

18. Oh, then you have no problem....

I thought you were talking about a church thing. Some of them can be quite long and, well, religious. An outdoor barbecue christening could be fun.

[Gryffindor_Bookworm]

10. "May (child's name) be blessed always."

eom

[pagerbear]

14. Just a thought

Religion has just as much to do with community as it does with faith in a higher power. And rites like baptisms, funerals, weddings, etc., are observed by community in every culture, with or without the added layer of religious practice. It's very important to celebrate these stages of life in the context of community, for everyone involved.

For the record, I don't think it matters much what you say to your neighbors, because if they care enough about you to include you, they'll probably take anything you say in the supportive light you doubtless intend. But I do like Bertha's suggestions.

[stellanoir]

15. blessings on your child. . .

may they live always in wisdom and joy.

[UrbScotty]

16. "LORD JESUS Bless You!"

Hey, I didn't say "God Bless You," did I?

[DivinBreuvage]

17. Tell them in a sensitive,caring tone that you hope one day they'll be able

to unchain their minds and embrace the "wonderfully liberating" freedom of non-belief.

[Cheswick2.0]

20. yeah, if you want to be an ignorant asshole...gop with this suggestion

:eyes:

[DivinBreuvage]

24. Ignorant? Try ENLIGHTENED. n/t

[Chovexani]

25. It's called pissing on someone's occasion

You don't have to believe in it. But show some respect and common decency for the occasion.

How would you feel if someone showed up to a freethought gathering loudly preaching about how you're going to hell and tossing Chick tracts around?

The Golden Rule. Look into it.

[DivinBreuvage]

26. The difference is, they would not have TRUTH on their side... ergo

it would be wrong if they did it.

[skygazer]

19. Is this a ship or a baby?

If it's a ship, something like "nice bowlines" might be a generic sort of response.

For a baby, I'm not sure. "My, what an interesting ceremony!" is about all I can come up with.

[Cheswick2.0]

21. this is very nice, thank you for inviting us and the baby is beautiful

.... and so well behaved.

[Wheelie_Alex]

22. Whatever you do...

Don't say, "I don't think that is going to be enough water for that kid's head! Have you seen the size of that thing?"

[Lydia Leftcoast]

27. You can never go wrong saying

"What a cute baby!" (All parents love to hear this.)

and

"Thank you for inviting us to share your celebration." (It's always good manners to thank the people who invited you.)

It's unlikely that the actual christening is taking place in the backyard. These are usually performed in church during the Sunday service or in a private service shortly afterward. (The idea is that the baby is being welcomed as a member of the community, so the current trend is to have it during the Sunday service where all the members can participate.)

Parents often throw a party after their baby's christening, so I'd bet that you've been invited to what would be the "reception" if it were a wedding.