Christening gift

[theanonmum]

Hope this is the right place to post. I’m new here. I’ve been searching and searching on a good gift to take to a christening and I’m completely stuck. Never been to one before. Do people even bring gifts?? I thought about clothes but then I feel like that’s not a good enough gift I mean everyone showers baby with clothes most never get worn and they get outgrown quickly... I thought about the little keepsakes where you keep baby’s first curl or tooth. But there’s a lot of people attending this christening so someone will likely have already got something like that. I’m just completely stuck. I don’t want to choose.

I usually buy a bible as a Christening gift. In religious book shops (or online) you can buy lovely small bibles in pink or blue. Or you could buy a children's bible with the stories and pictures in or just any pretty bible you have seen. That way you can write a nice message on the inside cover as well.

You are on the right track to bring a card and gift and also correct that clothes are soon outgrown.

IME, a Christening gift is a permanent sort of thing: a simple, classic piece of jewelry, baby sized or not, for a girl, cuff links for a boy or a naice (fountain) pen set - often engraved with baby's initials or name. Often the baby is much too young to appreciate any of it so it's not aimed at the baby's current age. In baby's later years, a Christening anniversary is often referred to as a 'name day' and part of the service is about officially naming the child. In the olden days, deep-pocketed godparents, saved cases of port for baby to enjoy in 18yrs time. A napkin ring is also traditional as are sterling baby cups, again engraved with baby's initials or name. DD1 received at least 4 napkin rings and at least 2 cups in her day. Another good idea is a religious book of some kind - baby Bible as above or some other overtly Christian book for a young child. One of the Bible readings recommended for the service is about Noah's ark so anything on that theme is good. Both DDs also received a few sets of (not plastic) baby dishes which they still use, especially the mugs.