Greek Customs after the Baptizing Ceremony
There are many who do not know the customs that accompany the Greek baptism ceremony. Here we will see what usual happens after the end of the mystery.
According to tradition, the baby must stay with the sanctified oil and myrrh for three days without being washed. On the third day, the godmother will have to go to the parents’ house to wash and bathe the child in a basin, because these waters should not be spilled out the drain. Parents should drop the water from the baby’s first bath as a Christian in a river or in the sea. If that is not possible, they will take the water to the church or throw it into the flowers or some place where it does not fall on animals or people.
If you want to follow the delivery, you should wash the baby locally every time you change the diaper, and if you need to clean it, do it with a fresh towel. In some parts of our country, mothers keep the chrisoms under the baby’s mattress for three days, until it takes that bath.
The godmother and the xeladwma (take out the holy oil)!
According to the custom, the godmother buys the clothes that the child will wear after the first bath after baptism. The godmother, after washing the child, dresses it with new clothes. Then he takes the baptismal clothes, the chrisoms and the towels and washes them in the sea or in a river, so that the hallowed oil and myrrh will not fall into the drain.
In the past, the close relatives of the neophyte, who threw gold coins into the bath water, were in the process.
If you do not have such a possibility, wash the clothes in a basin and pour the water into the sea, into a river or into your pots.
In the past, the Godfather or the godmother accompanied the parents and the neophyte to the church, where the baby dressed in his christening, communion three consecutive Sundays after the baptism. The parents brought along the child’s torch, which they lit each time for as long as they were in the church. The third time they took the adornment out of the candle, because they had to leave the candle in the church. Usually to communion the baby, it was carried by the godfather or the godmother and someone had to follow them, keeping the candle lit. The Godparents had to hold the baby on their right side.
Finally, according to the Orthodox Church, The Godfather, who is considered the spiritual father of the child, is not allowed to christen children of different sex. At the same time, the church forbids marriage to a couple who had the same godfather. According to the church, they’re like sibling. They’re even called “Kaladelfia”.
