Money Saving Ideas for Greek Christening Supplies
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In the Greek Orthodox Church, the Christening is very important. In it, two Holy Sacraments are performed – Holy Baptism and Holy Chrism. In Holy Baptism, the baptized is washed clean and sheds the “old life” of original sin. Through Holy Chrism, which involves being anointed in oil, the newly baptized individual receives the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Both of these Holy Sacraments are only performed once.
Even though the Christening is an important event in the life of an Orthodox Christian, it can be very expensive. One is the biggest expenses are the items that are needed for the church during the ceremony. The good news is that there are ways to save money on these items.
Here are some tips on how to save money on your Greek Christening supplies:
Save Money on the Christening Box
There are services that compile beautiful boxes filled with all the items the priest needs to complete the Christening. This includes a bar of soap, a small bottle of oil, and a white hand towel. These boxes are beautifully crafted and can be very expensive. Some are even engraved.
It is not a requirement to buy these boxes. You can assemble your own box and find the items yourself. You also don’t necessarily need the box itself, which adds to the expense. As long as you get the soap, towel, and oil that the priest suggests, you don’t need to incur any additional expenses.
If you do decide that you want these items stored in a beautiful box, consider making the box yourself. You may want to ask your priest for tips and to make sure that the box is appropriate for the ceremony.
Purchasing the Miropania Set
The Miropania set includes other items that the priest requires. This includes a large white towel, a white hand towel, a new white outfit, and a white sheet. As is the case with the Christening boxes, you can also purchase a Miropania set that has already been assembled.
However, if you want to save money, you can buy all the items yourself. First, ask the priest exactly what is required. Second, you can look for sales and discounts on all the items. As long as the Miropania set contains everything that is needed, it doesn’t matter how you acquire the items.
Money Saving Ideas for Candles
Most Christenings have at least one large candle and two smaller ones for people to hold during the ceremony. The large candle is also lit while the newly baptized Christian receives Holy Communion a total of three times after the Christening.
Most of the candles that we see are beautifully decorated. However, they don’t have to be decorated at all because it is only a tradition, not a necessity. By either decorating the candles yourself or forgoing the decorations all together, you can save a good amount of money.
Christenings are important because they contain two essential Holy Sacraments – Holy Baptism and Holy Chrism. For those who are responsible for buying the items for the church, however, it can be expensive. Luckily, there are ways to save money.
Categorized in: Greek Christening Traditions
This post was written by Greek Boston
