Traditional Christening Gifts for Baby
There are many traditional gifts to give a new baby at a Christening - here are a few of them..
Caudle Cups
These are two handled china cups which were used many centuries ago by parents of newborns. The cups were filled with a mixture of spiced oatmeal gruel flavoured with madeira and served to the parents for three days after a child’s birth. The cups were only used for this purpose and were often handed down through the family for generations. Some believe that the silver christening cups of today hark from this tradition.
Christening cups
Giving a silver cup as a christening gift is reminiscent of the ‘silver chalice’ used at the Last Supper by Jesus. The cup represents that the new baby is an empty soul, waiting to be filled with purpose and goodness. In the Catholic faith, a silver christening cup is typically bought by a godparent. It is used to pour the baptismal waters over the baby’s head three times as a symbol of the holy trinity.
Apostle spoons
These are silver spoons with the image of one of the twelve apostles on the handle. Wealthy benefactors would give a baby the entire set of twelve, while those less well off would give four spoons (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) or possibly just one with the saint whose name the child had been given. This custom started in Tudor times and was a sign of a wealthy family and is thought to have given rise to the saying: Born with a silver spoon in your mouth. The giving of Apostle spoons has become less common, but the giving of silver remains.
Silver
Silver was a valuable currency, so giving something silver was a way of setting up a nest egg for a new baby. The Victorians adapted the silver pieces and silver spoons to anything silver and of use – like rattles, teethers, cutlery, egg cups and napkin rings. These days, giving something silver is the most commonly accepted tradition for christening presents.
