Last December 2022, I don’t know what truly happened, but I got a lot of invitations to be a godparent, and I never resisted because it meant that they trusted me to be part of their child's life. It will be an honor to pledge to the Lord that I will also be responsible to the child, especially in teaching them how to be better people and how they should live a life with the teachings of the church. I was overwhelmed when I got two invitations in just a month, and it means that the parents thought that we will be keeping in touch with each other in the next years. This is because connection and communication are also considered on this important celebration.
Aside from the honor of being invited as a godparent, I also look forward to the post-christening celebration of the family that hosted it. Do not get me wrong, I am not after the foods. I like seeing how they make the party worth the while knowing that most of the guests are adults. When I attended a christening last December, I kept a few photos to share with everyone how's the celebration after. Let me tell you my experience by scrolling down.
It was early on a Sunday morning when the baptism happened. The celebration after the sacred moment was held kilometers away from the church. Since I didn’t have a car or any vehicle, someone in the church insisted on going with me to the reception. I hopped on the tricycle (a motorcycle with a metal-made side car) together with my nephew and went straight to the reception. The reception is near a mountain, with views of the family’s farm.
And the typical celebration in the Philippines is eating lunch together and having a gift-giving party. But first, we were asked to grab some plates and started putting food in there. I brought my nephew with me, so I had to get food for him first, then the latter was for me. Most of the viand they prepared is pork, chicken, and vegetable meals. They also prepared the popular Lechon Baboy (roasted pig), even though it looks like just a simple celebration. This means that the family really made sure that the guests will enjoy the good foods.
After getting the foods for me and my nephew, I went back to our table and sat down. We waited for the rest of the guests that sits with us on the same table to finish getting their portion of foods.
I got myself rice, and some of my favorite pork dishes - Roasted Pig and Estofado. I even put a portion of Igado, which is also a popular dish in every Filipino occassions.
Before eating, the church pastor where the kid was baptized asked us to stand and pray with him. He led the prayer and thanked the Lord for the successful baptism. He was also the same Pastor who baptized the child. They were also invited to celebrate with us.
Then, we started the feast. While enjoying the foods, one of the relatives started distributing drinks and desserts to the visitors. We got ourselves some soda, and enjoyed the satisfying burp. People, from neighbors to relatives and friends, also started to come over. Everything is good, and everyone is enjoying the delicious food.
After eating, it was time for some fun. But most of the games were for the kids, which we just enjoyed watching. It was minutes of laughter while looking at the kids playing and receiving some prizes. I did not get a chance to capture some photos since I got busy in watching them.
And finally, the Gift-Giving part came. It was the most-awaited moment of the child's relatives and family. The mother was holding the kid, and she started roaming around the tables of the guests. It is voluntary and depends on whether the godparent or visitor bought material gifts or just planned to give cash. And as for me, I only gave money since I had no time to buy a present due to my busy schedule at school. But I purchased many comfortable dresses for the kid last Christmas.
So, that's my experience in attending a post-christening celebration.
I cannot express how thankful I am to those who have taken the time to read what I have written today. Your support means everything to me. Please acknowledge the sincere thanks I feel for each and every one of you. I hope to see you on my next blog and look forward to it!
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| WEEKEND EXPERIENCES | Loads of Fun from an Overnight at the Beach of Botolan |
| AMAZING NATURE | A Sight of Amazing Nature on My Way Home |
| ASEAN HIVE | FLOWER ARRANGEMENT EXPERIENCE |
| PINMAPPLE | WELCOME TO MY UNIVERSITY: PRESIDENT RAMON MAGSAYSAY STATE UNIVERSITY – IBA CAMPUS |
| MARKET FRIDAY | THE POINT OF VIEW FROM A VENDOR |
Hive Blog #52
Date Published: March 6, 2023
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Lead Image edited from Canva.
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