When a child is born into a Moldovan family – is happiness. The parents of the newborn are carefully preparing for the rite of baptism of the baby, seriously thinking about who to give honor to, to be the Godfather and Mother.
First of all, you need to choose a church for a solemn ceremony
He thinks in advance about who can become godparents for a child. It is they who participate in the sacrament of baptism and take responsibility for the child before God. Godparents must be either the same age as their parents or younger than them and be very close to family people - this is the key to their long and close relationship with the child. The national traditions of baptism of children in Moldova are somewhat different from the Russians.
For example, the main parents of a child will not be godparents, but ours who were present at the wedding. All responsibility for the ceremony lies on their shoulders. There may be fifty godparents, or godfathers. This is what parents want. But their role is usually secondary. There are also traditions of competent invitations to christening.
Parents buy rolls and wine and go to friends or relatives to invite them to the holiday. Taking a kalach indicates the consent of the owner of the house to become your relative. But, as a rule, they always agree, because, according to another tradition, it is a sin to refuse bread. If you want to single out one of the godparents, then you can put a small gift on the roll. Then parents and future godfathers drink a little, but do not empty the bottle, because it is designed for all subsequent godfathers.
The baptismal procedure lasts on average one hour. Only the main participants of the ceremony are invited to the church: nanas, godfathers and relatives. Nanashka distributes a roof to guests - a small bundle: a cornflower, a towel and a candle wrapped in tape.
Each of those present must hold it in their hands until the end of the ceremony. This is followed by the traditional baptismal procedure for most countries: the priest dips the child in the font, pouring sacred water and reading a prayer. A distinctive feature is that at this time the mother is not present in the church.
She is on the street and waits until the nanashka takes out her already baptized baby. Father reads a prayer, and the parents go home. At home, all guests gather at a huge table full of food and drink. The real holiday of the child and his parents begins. On the table, a nanooshka spreads a blanket or a large towel, on which, according to tradition, each of the guests must put some kind of children's item: caps, socks, suits, jackets - each according to their capabilities.
Nanashka should also put something for the baby’s mother. It could be a blouse or a sweater. Then the child is wrapped in this blanket, sprinkled with candy so that life is always sweet. After all this, guests gather at the table and relax. At midnight, nanashka hands out rolls, into which each of the guests must take turns putting their gift and say it out loud.
It is customary for the kalach to be completely covered with either a gift or money. After all the gifts are accepted, the child's father lights candles for all the guests, puts them together and burns one large cross on the door.
This is perhaps the last tradition of Moldovan crosses. Then the guests continue to have fun. Christening is a holiday dedicated to a child who enters the bosom of the church. This is what should be remembered and carried out in the appropriate spirit. You can baptize a child from the first birthday, on any day of the week except Saturday (memorial day).
Material: Lyubov Chegarovskaya
Photo: Andrey Saenko.
