Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

re. christening party bags

96 replies

ShadowFall · 04/07/2014 14:32

I didn't think that I was doing anything out of the ordinary at the time, but now my friend has got me wondering.

DS2 was christened a few weeks ago. We invited family and some friends, including their kids, and provided refreshments (buffet) afterwards at our house. Kids played in house and garden with our DC and theirs toys and all seemed fine.

We did not give out any party bags because I didn't think christenings celebrations were really a party bag sort of occasion - I don't recall ever being to a christening party where party bags were handed out. Doing party bags simply did not occur to me.

Anyway. Today I was talking to a friend who'd been to the christening. . She said that she had been a bit surprised about her DC not getting a party bag but didn't like to mention it at the time. (Not really sure why she felt the need to mention it now!)

WIBU to not get party bags for the kids who came?

OP posts:

LisaMed · 04/07/2014 16:13

WTAF?

Perhaps she was confusing a religious ceremony with soft play. She'll be complaining that they're bringing religion into Christmas next.

LindaMcCartneySausage · 04/07/2014 16:13

YANBU. Never heard of christening party bags. Might depend on the culture though. I lived in Greece and it was the norm at Greek Orthodox christenings when I was there to give all guests a wedding style favour at the end. They were usually exquisite - sugared almonds in a little shoe or a rattle filled with sweets - but def not a party bag.

HorraceTheOtter · 04/07/2014 16:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

squoosh · 04/07/2014 16:16

The Calvary cross will be renamed the Cadbury cross.

TortoiseUpATreeAgain · 04/07/2014 16:17

I have come across sugared almonds at a first communion, but that's not really a party bag equivalent.

I have never seen a party bag or anything approaching one at any christening in any denomination.

CallMeExhausted · 04/07/2014 16:22

If, by "party bag" she meant envelope with a nice card saying "thank you for sharing in celebrating this special occasion" , then it is absolutely expected.

If, however, she meant goody bag with sweets and bit of plastic tat of course she did , she is clearly batshit.

Amy106 · 04/07/2014 16:28

I have never heard of that here either. It's not like you can order Happy Christening party bags from PartyPieces (I tried just to see if it was possible). Your friend is both very rude and very grabby and sadly is modelling those behaviours for her dc.

Bearbehind · 04/07/2014 16:45

If, by "party bag" she meant envelope with a nice card saying "thank you for sharing in celebrating this special occasion" , then it is absolutely expected.

Eh? Since when has that been expected at any event let alone a christening?

Lariflete · 04/07/2014 16:46

Squoosh I just snorted at the Cadbury Cross!
OP YANBU - I am from a large Catholic Family and have been to a gazillion Christenings barely exaggerating and have never seen this done EVER. Nor would I want it to be. It is about celebrating a child (or adult) joining the larger Christian family and is absolutely a day just for that person to be celebrated.

ArcheryAnnie · 04/07/2014 16:50

Another one here who thinks your friend is daft. I have never ever heard of any christening which included party bags.

BUT - even if christening party bags were the norm (they aren't) and you had committed some dreadful social faux pas by failing to hand any out (you hadn't) she has committed an even bigger social faux pas by bringing the issue up with you.

AllDirections · 04/07/2014 16:51

Your friend is nuts.

This

And she is probably the type who panders to her DC so maybe the children complained and she's not the type to tell them that they don't always get party bags at every party and so blamed you instead

5Foot5 · 04/07/2014 16:58

Wow I am at the crucifix on a stick. So you can actually eat Jesus - better than a communion wafer isn't it?

ChickenFajitasAndNachos · 04/07/2014 16:59

She was being just so wrong and so rude. Do people really not know basic manners? To mention something her DC not given and doesn't even exist.

WanderingAway · 04/07/2014 17:12

I don't even give out party bags at birthday parties never mind a christening.

Your friend would love me

Nanny0gg · 04/07/2014 17:17

a) The woman's a loon
and
b) Even if it were usual (which it's not) it was very rude to mention its absence.

AbbieHoffmansAfro · 04/07/2014 17:18

Does the doctrine of trans-substantiation apply to a chocolate Christ on a stick?

Szeli · 04/07/2014 22:28

Granny's Christmas present is sorted!

Annunziata · 04/07/2014 22:29

It's traditional in Italy to give sugar almonds and little presents at a Christening.

Pilgit · 04/07/2014 23:04

Love the chocolate crucifix! My friend did them at her ds naming ceremony. I thought it was odd, lovely but odd. She just wanted to spoil the children who came (all close). Agreed it wasn't normal she just lived doing them. I have also been to a lot of christenings and that was the only time!

PrueDent · 04/07/2014 23:27

Is your friend the overly precious type, OP?

Do you think she'll be the mother who goes and boots little children off the swings because her child can't wait for a turn? Or who tells the children who don't let her little precious get his own way all the time to "go and play down your own end"?

She sounds like it.

Was she upset that you didn't give out party bags and embarrassed for you (unnecessarily) because you'd committed a hosting sin? Or was she upset that her little precious wasn't given an overdose of sugar and some random plastic tat to jam the vacuum cleaner with?

wheresthelight · 04/07/2014 23:34

Your friend is mad!!!!!

QueenofLouisiana · 04/07/2014 23:34

We gave everyone a glass of champagne and a piece of the cake- not a bag or piece of plastic tat in sight.

Dubjackeen · 04/07/2014 23:42

OP you should have handmade bags and crammed them with expensive goodies .
No, YANBU and she is rude. Forget it, and if she brings it up again, gaze at her in amazement!

Lucked · 05/07/2014 00:01

I had forgotten until the pps mentioned it but yes Italians give sweets and gifts, but my mum and dad have been given theses at christenings, they aren't necessarily for children.

I did see party bags with crosses in the party shop when I was getting balloons for my dds christening, I did a double take because I suddenly wondered if I was meant to do them for the kids. The bags were for first communions and I thought a bit weird.

My guests got as much cake as I could palm off on them but no bubbles, stickers or bouncy balls!

BubaMarra · 05/07/2014 07:01

I've seen sugar coated almonds at christenings not only in Italy, but in Greece too. They are delicious

Flip

1 2 3 4