Naming Ceremony

They say it takes a village to raise a child and a naming ceremony offers the the perfect opportunity to celebrate and welcome the birth of your child into your family, friendship group and close knit community.

When my girls were born, we waited until until they were three years and eighteen months old respectively before we held a names day ceremony. We had recently moved to the South Coast and felt it appropriate to celebrate their day with the ocean crashing behind us and the escarpment looking down on us, representing a fresh beginning.

We chose a simple candle ritual, and had my mother as our celebrant …this was well before I had ever considered following in her footsteps. I remember this as a wonderful gathering, honouring our children and offering a sweet yet simple narrative around how we as parents, could offer them a set of honest and achievable values and principles to live by. It was fun and informal. It is to this day, a highlight of my parenting journey.

A naming ritual, ceremony or celebration is one of the greatest gifts we can offer our children and has been done in ritual or ceremonial form for many many centuries. Your naming ceremony can be as formal or as simple as you wish. This is your naming ceremony, so it can take whatever form you feel is perfect for you and your child.