<p>Sorry, just getting back to the computer…Beil1978 has done a good job on the explainations of the differences. I’m Catholic, DD has Baptized as an infant. And I was baptized in the hospital many, many years ago. For SIL’s childern we attended a Christening…in my view they were similar events. I, personally, had no problem with the Christening cards DD recieved, but some folks may feel differently (like my cousin).</p>
<p>As far as the gifts go, family customs seem to guide what happens. I think I would go with a book, or a savings bond. In any case, congrats on the new arrival!</p>
<p>franglish–the part about your mother is beautiful. It gave me chills. And I agree, that increasing tolerance is a wonderful thing. </p>
<p>Just to add to Beil’s post regarding Catholic baptism if any of you are in a learning mode. In the event of an emergency any Catholic may baptize. That is indicative of it’s importance in the faith. My father and mother baptized one of their grandchildren shortly after the child was born. The family knew the baby would not live more than a few hours. My BIL is non-Catholic and my sister is nonpracticing, but both wanted the child baptized. It was the simplest solution and encouraged by the local priest and my BIL’s minister.</p>
<p>I think it’s wonderful that your mother is being understanding. Mazel Tov to her :-)</p>
<p>Here’s a gift that I gave my sister for my niece’s baptism that may also be of interest to some. I recognize this may not be relevant to the OP as it’s a brother’s child, but the mention of Holocaust made me think genealogy. </p>
<p>I had just completed a huge project on our genealogy at the time and was tracing our mother’s mother’s line and took it back to the mid 1700’s (German Catholic). So, I commissioned a decorative ceramic plate that had New Baby’s Name, Date of Birth, Location in the middle with a baby rattle. Then around the corners of the plate, I had calligraphied: (imagine each of these around a plate starting at 12 o’clock and going clockwise):</p>
<p>Mother’s First Name (my sister)
Her Date of Birth, 1972</p>
<p>Grandmother’s First Name (our mother)
Her DOB, 1943</p>
<p>Great-Grandmother’s First Name
DOB, 1920</p>
<p>Great-Great-Grandmother’s First Name
DOB, 1883</p>
<p>… and so on, all the way to Magdalena, b 1750</p>
<p>Because it was a daughter, it was really neat to trace through all the women who had “begotten” her, and the plate is an interesting reminder of all their lives, and how different the world has been, but at all of these points each of these women gazed down at a new baby girl … Sort of a circle of life idea!</p>
<p>I had this done through a professional-artist friend who did the plate to my specifications, but anyone artistically inclined could create something like this at a do-it-yourself pottery painting place. It’s a neat keepsake and it’s very meaningful to my sister, plus preserves those names for future generations!</p>
<p>My friend just had a baby and his baptism was last week–hands down his favorite present was a friend that offered to watch baby for a night and gave the parents a gift card to a great restaurant. They really appreciated it since they’ve been so stressed out with their new son!</p>
<p>Other than that, a nice card and some cash is pretty standard around here.</p>
<p>My friend just had a baby and his baptism was last week–hands down his favorite present was a friend that offered to watch baby for a night and gave the parents a gift card to a great restaurant. They really appreciated it since they’ve been so stressed out with their new son!</p>
<p>Other than that, a nice card and some cash is pretty standard around here.</p>
<p>What zoozermom is saying is that in her part of the world it is so customary to give cash that a tangible memento would be remarked upon. As opposed to other parts of the world where the memento would be expected and the “vulgarity” of the cash would be shocking. </p>
<p>I have sometimes attempted to bridge the gap with a check enclosed with a silver spoon-- or a stuffed silver piggie bank – but then neither side seems to get it!</p>
<p>It’s all different traditions – and of course what’s important is the good wishes for the new family and baby no matter how they are expressed. At least that’s what <em>I</em> think!</p>
<p>Actually, any Christian can baptize. I’ve known neonatal nurses who have baptized babies. The Catholic church will recognize the baptism of someone not baptized by the Catholic church… meaning, if you’re raised as a Protestant (or whatever), but convert to Catholicism, you are not required to be ‘re’-baptized.</p>
<p>I was baptized right after birth at the hospital. </p>
<p>I was baptized again in the Catholic church so that the I could have a baptismal certificate from a church. This is needed when you received the other sacrements…reconciliation, first communion, confirmation and marriage. </p>
<p>As for gifts, my daughters received silver rattles, frames, cups etc. They also received a number of savings bonds. (They cashed them in last week.)</p>
<p>Just to throw another variation into the works, my church isn’t Christian: it’s Unitarian Universalist. We have a “Child Dedication” ceremony in which the parents declare the name they have given the child, and the parents/godparents (if any) and congregation have separate words promising to help the child grow in every sense (parents/godparents) and promising to support them in doing so (congregation).</p>