christening means the Christian sacrament at which someone, usually a child, is baptized and given a Christian name.
christening is pronounced /ˈkɹɪs.ə.nɪŋ/.
Why “christening” is a great word
The ceremony in which a child is baptized into the Christian faith and formally receives its name. From Middle English cristenynge (c. 1300), from Old English cristnung, from cristen ("to make Christian, baptize") + the nominal suffix -ing. Unlike "baptism," which denotes the broader sacrament of initiation involving water, or "dedication," a non-sacramental ceremony of blessing or presentation, christening specifically consecrates the act of naming within the sacred rite. It is the chill of holy water on a newborn's brow, the weight of a hereditary silver cup in a godparent's hand, and the hush of a congregation as a name is declared into being—a public grafting of identity onto the infinite, the ancient recognition that to be named is to be claimed against the chaos of an indifferent world.
Etymology
From Middle English cristenynge, from Old English cristnung; compare christen + -ing.
noun
- The Christian sacrament at which someone, usually a child, is baptized and given a Christian name.
- Any instance of someone's or something's being christened.
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