I have to cancel don’t I?

[Christening]

My toddlers Christening is arranged for first week in January. It has already been cancelled twice before. We have a service, then a reception for 50 planned. People will be coming from all over the country. Some of them are vulnerable.

YANBU: of course you have to cancel
YABU: don’t cancel it will be fine

I am genuinely surprised at the open hostility towards Christianity on this thread. It is very important to me to have my baby welcomed into the church. This is my faith and my belief.

If it's that important to have your baby welcomed into the church, why are you considering cancelling, unless absolutely forced to do so by the government?

I understand you want your family around to join in the celebration but you say you've already previously cancelled. I can't help but think you'd just go ahead and worry about the party later if it was that important.

[quote Christening]@Wagamamasforlunch the church does not charge for a Christening. You pay an optional £15 if you want a Baptism certificate. It is not a moneyspinner for the church.

@NeverDropYourMooncup are you suggesting that we were planning to spend £700 in order to get gifts? For my eldest’s Christening we received some books and an engraved cutlery set. Hardly a profit making exercise.

I am genuinely surprised at the open hostility towards Christianity on this thread. It is very important to me to have my baby welcomed into the church. This is my faith and my belief. Are these posters as openly hostile to all religions or do they have a specific contempt for Christianity?[/quote]
If it's a purely spiritual thing, cancelling wouldn't happen because the child would be baptised urgently for the spiritual protection it's believed to confer, just the party side would be stopped.

Some people do have baptisms purely for presents/a party. Which I am hostile towards despite an absence of faith - because it's hypocrisy with an extra slice of cynicism. You are mistaking my distaste for people who forget it's a religious rite for contempt towards Christianity.

[quote Wagamamasforlunch]@ClaudiaJ1

Why would you need a buffet for a Christening? It's not a big important event like a wedding. Many people go back home and have a few people around for coffee, or a bbq/sandwiches at home.

Why do you even need 50 people? Why do you even need a buffet? It's extremely extravagant for something that isn't even really that important.

I'm guessing OP has invited 50 people because they are her family and friends and she would like them there? 50 isn't really that many people, say 12 people from each side of the family, that's 24, 26 plus the actual parents, and then 12 friends and their partners make it 50.

Celebrating a new baby is pretty important, especially after the last shitty two years. She didn't say she needs a buffet, she wants a buffet and can afford it, so what's the problem? There's nothing wrong with doing it yourself at home either, but most people would struggle to fit 50 people in their house, it's hassle buying and preparing it yourself, and a BBQ isn't really an option in January. A £12 a head buffet isn't "extremely extravagant", it's standard, same sort of pricing for a buffet for a big birthday party etc. I can imagine you would have had kittens at the last christening I went to: a 3 course sit down meal and a glass of prosecco! For 80 people! I thought it was a bit OTT but the parents had had a shitty time with their baby being born premature and in hospital for the first few weeks of his life, they wanted to celebrate and can afford it, good for them. And good for hospitality industry.[/quote]
But a christening isn't to celebrate a new baby. It is to erase the baby's original sin and so they can become a full-pledged child of God.

The idea that people think a baby is already a sinner makes me shudder, but then I'm not religious!

I wouldn't cancel.
I'd have the christening party regardless, as that's usually the most important part for anyone who chooses to baptise their child.

The party I would continue with for now.
Some people may drop out.
There may be some restrictions re numbers, as before, but probably not completely stopped.

[quote Christening]@Tee20x I have to pay per head for the reception and the money is due on Monday. It is £700. I really don’t want to throw money away if people are not going to come.[/quote]
Ah, missed this - forgot to filter before posting.

I'd be tempted to have the christening, but cancel the party in this case. I'd move to having a smaller number and a more informal event costing much less.

And save the bigger celebration to maybe a first birthday or similar.

@Abraxan the OP has to pay per head, so if she is paying for 50 people and only 20 turn up that is a lot of money down the drain. They are now talking about a two week lockdown after Christmas so I wouldn't be paying for the party now.

Oh im in exactly the same position but have it booked for 15th Jan, so totally feel your dilemma.

We reluctantly decided to cancel the reception this week as the cost was based on a package for 40 people and even if it did go ahead we didnt want the hassle of wondering who was/ wasnt turning up, as it was’t cheap. No one can guarantee an rsvp at the mo.
It helped that we hadnt sent the invites yet.
We will still do the religious ceremony on 15th (if church is open!) and all being well have a much smaller group of family back to ours for tea and cake.
Im prepared that also may not happen but for us, it feel much less stressful opting for a lower key option