The Importance of Baptism for Greek People
For the Greeks baptism is one of most important sacraments.
Baptism, is one of the seven mysteries of our church. It is a basic prerequisite for any new person that comes into the world.
Baptism is the gateway into the Christian Church. It is the saving action of God who, through water and the Spirit, recreates His creation. It is the initial Sacrament through which he who is immersed in water three times, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, is cleansed from all sin and is regenerated spiritually. As our Lord Himself stated: “No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit” (John 3:5).
In the first Christian years, it was common practice to baptize at a mature age, after the indoctrination, the teaching of the principles of Christian faith. Later, due to the high rate of infant mortality, infant baptism was adopted. Instead of being baptized in the Confession of Faith, the Godfather now has the role to later conduct the indoctrination of the new member of the church.
Essentially it is a necessary religious ceremony that combines the entrance of the child into the bosom of the church with the so-called official naming.
Planning a Greek christening can be time consuming and challenging for parents and godparents. Understanding all of the Greek baptism traditions is a very important part of planning a Greek baptism in the Greek Orthodox church.
As in many moments of our lives, on this special day, it is necessary to follow or adopt some of the traditional customs that pass from generation to generation and remain unchanged in time.
