Explanation of the Greek Baptism Ceremony
The Greek Orthodox church, one of several Eastern Orthodox Christian churches, is steeped in tradition. One such tradition is the baptism of infants whose parents belong to the church. Baptism has a set of rules that should be followed in the ceremony.
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Requirements
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An infant of any age can be baptized as long as his parents are in good standing with the church. Baptisms usually happen when a child is between 3 and 10 months old and can take place on any date except between Christmas Day and the Feast of Theophany, from Dec. 25 to Jan. 6.
Sponsorship
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The child requires sponsorship for baptism because the child can't vocalize his or her commitment to God and the church. Sponsors are usually godparents, called the nuno and nuna, who then purchase a white gown or suit for the child and hold the child during the ceremony while facing east.
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Exorcisms
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The priest overseeing the ceremony blows his breath over the child three times, then makes the sign of the cross as a way to ward off any evil. The godparents then face west and renounce Satan on the child's behalf, blowing or, more traditionally, spitting on the ground to condemn Satan before facing east again.
Confession of Faith and Preparation for Baptism
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Once facing east, the godparents will pledge the infant's allegiance to Christ by responding positively when the priest asks. The priest then blesses and consecrates the water to be used for the baptism as the godparents undress and anoint the child's forehead, nose, ears, mouth, chest, legs, feet, hands and back.
Baptism
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After being anointed, the infant is then immersed in the blessed water three times before being handed back to the godparents and wrapped in a white sheet. The baby is then rubbed with Holy Myrrh on the same spots where the child was anointed, then a lock of hair is cut in the shape of a cross from the baby's hair before another blessing.
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References
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- Photo Credit mother with baby in church image by Pavel Losevsky from Fotolia.com
