Not one of you Bitches welcomed September.
Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome September,
Come this way!
This family contains the same grandmother (the one in the hospital) who told me my uncle was decapitated, but was doing fine now.
Heh. Your uncle is from some strong stock.
Now I find that it's really a dedication ceremony for their new baby, and presents for baby and for parents are implicitly expected.
A dedication...like...the Protestant ceremony done in those denominations where they don't baptize infants? Seriously? Ugh.
Okay, I'ma have a little rant.
The larger Christening party (the post-ritual get-together) was held by those people whose customs from the old country
did not
include baby showers, and who were afraid the pre-birth baby shower custom was a little tempt-y of fate.
Among these people, generally, the infant was baptized as soon as possible, and in the old days, many infants (particularly those of Western European extraction from predominantly Roman Catholic countries) were pretty much kept in the house with the immediate fam
until
the baptism, which was performed in the first few weeks of life.
The Christening ceremony and any party following, was sort of the baby's introduction to his or her extended peeps. Presents were given in the spirit that new baby presents often are--as a genuine happy reaction to a new member of the circle. And the people hadn't already been milked for a shower, and hadn't already come to see you and your new baby with a spontaneous gift.
If you have already had a big-ass baby shower (in particular, I'm looking at you people who end up having baby showers in function halls, and I won't say any more about that), and then everyone who comes to see your baby brings a present when they come to see the baby (which is another custom that mingled in, somehow) and then you have the baby Christened, and throw another big ass party (I'm not talking about grandparents and aunts, uncles and cousins back at the house), you're asking for too much gift-wise, even if you're not asking, because people feel like they have to give it. You're also in danger of engendering baby fatigue.
If you're from a tradition that doesn't baptize babies anyhow, and instead has a dedication, because the child has to be of a certain age to choose baptism himself, and you had a big-ass shower? Don't have a post-service party. Just don't. If you want your fam and (closest) friends to experience the ceremony, you tell them the baby is being dedicated at such and such a church, at such and such a time, and you're having [dinner; a buffet; pizza; Chinese] after, and they're welcome "to stop by." Otherwise, you just look like a gift-beggar.
For reals.
Far as I'm concerned, unless they're going to break a bottle of champagne on the baby's head or pledge it to a monastery, I'll have no part of any "baby dedication".
Dedication is not a new thing. It's just done in the denominations where people don't practice paedo-baptism. I was dedicated. Our church does practice paedo-baptism, but if parents choose not to baptize their babies and leave it up to the kids when they're older, our minister will dedicate the baby instead. I have never before heard of a Dedication Party, though.
Huh. That I can see, though I guess as a kid raised in a baby baptism church I've not encountered it.
But I didn't get the sense, in this case, that it was any kind of a churchy thing, just a gimme party. I mean, it's not like Zen was invited to come to church on Sunday morning and then to, say, a brunch or something.
Besides, if she goes and gives a gift for this "occasion", what's she going to give the baby for it's 3-6-9-12-15-and-18 month anniversary galas?
vw, glad you are rid of the whole Cambridge apartment stress. Good luck with the lawyer today.
I also can't see inviting work acquaintances to event after event and expecting gifts. Doesn't she realize that she has to work with YOU? I mean, she should be worried about what you think of her and not the other way around. Getting pegged as a greedy bitch might not do a whole lot for her relationships with coworkers.
gift fatigue
Cindy's waaaaay nicer than I am this morning. But then she's probably had more coffee than I.
Owen and I had a "discussion" as to why mini m&m's don't make good breakfast food. I'm going to blame Christopher for leaving them out on the counter where O could see them when I was trying to get him to decide between a waffle and cheerios. *sigh*
I guess now is not the time to mention that the dog and I are breakfasting on mallocreme pumpkins.
Ouch, Cashmere. I hate those kinds of discussions. Aidan's been walking around the house saying, "Ice cream? Ice cream?"
Aidan and Kara (and Nick and I) were dedicated, but we'd never even heard of getting or giving gifts, so were quite surprised when Greg's family gave gifts to the children afterwards.
I guess now is not the time to mention that the dog and I are breakfasting on mallocreme pumpkins.
Heh. When he's adult, he can eat sugar with a spoon for breakfast. But I'm here to insure he'll feel guilty about it when he does.
September, on the other hand, will be lovely and nice and lots of fun.
ANd contains my BIRTHDAY right smack in the middle of it! (the 15th, in case you were wondering)
Zenkitty, weren't you the person that had a similar thing with a wedding a few weeks ago, with the expected gifts of money + something else for a co-worker? IS THIS THE SAME CO-WORKER? Because it sounds like you work with people who NO class of any kind AT ALL.
Don't bring a damn thing to this whatever baby ceremony. JEEEZUS.
I swear, I don't know where people get off saying a gift is EVER expected. A gift is NEVER "expected." That sort makes it NOT A GIFT and more an ADMISSION FEE.
