When it comes to the baptism ceremony, organizing it can get a little overwhelming, even when you’re the godfather or the godmother: “Where do you start? What should you buy? How do you make sure you haven’t forgotten anything?”. A particularly important element for this event is the baptismal candle. Lighting it symbolizes lighting the way in life for the newly christened baby, so the candle will be the center of attention throughout the service and later when you arrive at the venue to celebrate. Here are some tips to help you choose the most suitable one:
# Keep the theme in mind
If the christening has a specific theme, it would be most appropriate for the candle to match the baby’s clothes and the rest of the decorations. For a rustic-themed christening, choose a candle with tricolor ribbons, ears of wheat or one wrapped in a cloth with traditional motifs. If the theme is cartoons, it can be personalized with paintings and plush toys that illustrate the kid’s favorite characters. For a nautical theme, decorate it with rudders, small anchors and seashells. If the baptism does not have a well-defined theme, but there are certain predominant colors, they can also be easily integrated into the candle arrangement.
# Don’t forget it has to last over time
If the child’s parents want to follow as many customs as possible, then surely the role of the candle does not end with the baptism. The candle will be lit on the parents and godparents table at the party after the baptism. At Cernica Events, we make sure that it is highlighted and perfectly integrated into the decor. The next day, it will be lit at the anointing bath also known as “washing the ointment”. Traditionally, the candle must also be present when the little one turns one, and then it can be kept as a memory and used again when the child does not feel well.
# Personalize
Natural flowers: The most used are lilies, orchids, gerberas, freesias, sunflowers, roses, hydrangeas and irises. So that they do not wither in a few days, you can opt for cryogenic or dried flowers.
Paper flowers: They are a creative choice, and their advantage is that they can be any color you want and they last over time. For a special effect, music sheets or newspaper pages can be used.
Fruits: They give a fresh and original look to the candle when arranged next to flowers. The most used fruits are citrus fruits: slices of lime, lemon or orange.
Textile materials: Ribbons, tulle petticoats, bows, bow ties, all these can be attached to candles and easily matched with the items in the baby’s baptism set;
Plush toys: They are sure to catch the attention of the little guests and they can be used later for playtime, if you opt for removable toys.
Polymer clay figurines: These can illustrate all kinds of animals, sweets or even landscapes.
Messages: You can write a short and meaningful text or you can write the child’s name, next to the date of baptism or the date of birth.
Pictures: If you want the protagonist of the baptism to be even more in the center of attention, you can print a picture of him on the candle.
# Baptism candles for girls
Although the candle is generally white, to express the purity and innocence of the baby, the decorations can be any color you wish. Choose pale shades of pink, coral, yellow or blue to suggest delicacy and femininity or decorations in intense colors such as orange and red, suitable for a girl with a strong personality.
If you opt for an arrangement with natural flowers, then it would be good to know in advance what the meaning of each one is: roses symbolize grace and courage, orchids inspire elegance and sophistication, lilies are the symbol of love and rebirth, irises symbolize wisdom and trust, and sunflowers inspire optimism and cheerfulness.
For a candle that expresses tenderness, choose decorations with ladybugs, bees and butterflies, combined with natural or artificial flowers. The joy of childhood can be easily suggested through arrangements with plush toys: Minnie, Sofia the First, Hello Kitty, Tinker Bell, unicorns, bears or bunnies. If you want an out-of-the-box arrangement, choose a candle decorated with candies and colorful lollipops made of polymer paste.
# Baptism candles for boys
For boys you can choose the color blue for the candle – to suggest strength and spirituality, purple – to inspire calm, green – a symbol of health and harmony or yellow – if the little one is full of energy. If you want to keep the candle white, you can cheer it up with cartoon prints or a message.
If flower arrangements seem like the safest choice, consider purple hydrangeas, which symbolize wealth and abundance, gypsophila, a symbol of luck in love, or gentian, which inspires creativity and gratitude.
If you want a different candle, then you can personalize it with a bow tie, perfectly matched with the little gentleman’s clothes, or with green models and figurines imitating soccer balls. If you want to add a plush toy, the most popular choices for boys are Mickey Mouse, Minions, Winnie the Pooh, The Smurfs, Lightning McQueen, Baby Boss and The Little Prince.
The options are endless, you just have to let your creativity run free and combine the elements in such a way that they match the whole event and why not, even the season in which it takes place. The candle is more than just a decorative item, but a way to show how happy you are that your baby is going to be your goddaughter or godson. It’s a gift you give to both the parents and the child that will always remind them of the special connection you have and the day of the baptism.