DS First Birthday and Naming Ceremony

[Ginglealltheway]

My DH keeps going on about having a joint first birthday/naming ceremony for our DS.
He wants this to be a big celebration with friends and family. I'm not sure about this at all. We are not religious, so just after DS was born, we had a very small gathering at home to 'wet the baby's head' and introduce him to our close family and close friends.

To then, a year later, have a naming ceremony, seems a bit over the top. To be honest, for his first birthday, I was just planning a small, family only, party at our house. A bit of cake and a few nibbles.

I was very lucky to have been surprised by my friends with a Baby Shower before DS was born and received some lovely gifts for baby (He is the first baby in the friendship group). Although it was made very clear 'no presents' for the 'wetting on the head' party, we have some very generous friends. I therefore do not want to have a large celebration on his birthday or have this naming ceremony as it just seems a bit fake (he's had his name for a while year) and grabby. But I know my DH just loves showing DS off (he is very much of the PFB brigade) and how we celebrate our DS's birthday is his choice too. I also know that he would be happy to do the organising.

Would I be unreasonable to talk him out of this party?

No issue with the beliefs of anyone - so long as they don’t harm others. Majority of christenings these days are an excuse for a party by non-believers anyway. And I don’t believe any of us has the right to force our beliefs on our children.

Of course they have a personality before 2!
We feel who they are the moment we first hold our children. They become more of who they are with time but how sad to write people off as having no personality before the age of 2.

Pretty sure I didn’t say that.

Maybe suggest that instead of a naming ceremony, you just ask family to say something or write in a book their memories and hopes of/for 1 year old. I agree that a naming ceremony seems a bit pointless after a year, but there’s nothing stopping DH from organising something to just celebrate the first year of your son, taking some of the ideas from a ceremony.

Apologies, I meant in conjunction with the baby shower/wetting head/1st birthday, a naming ceremony seems OTT as it is a lot of celebrations in one year!

I have really enjoyed reading the descriptions of the naming ceremonies posters have attended and the suggestion to incorporate some idea may be an excellent compromise.

Ah. Didn’t do baby shower, wetting head or 1st birthday party.

Why don't you compromise and have a larger birthday party? Just tell him you feel really uncomfortable about the naming ceremony but happy to have a slightly bigger 1st birthday party?

What is a naming ceremony?

That's quite a few occasions already. I'd have a small birthday party and if your DH wants an event with more people just host a dinner party or BBQ at another time where friends aren't expected to provide yet again for the baby.

And our friends and family are mostly spread all over the UK - nobody local - so a bigger event made sense for us.

Guess it depends on your circumstances.