Birth
Many people adhering to Western religions welcome a new-born child into the congregation or the community with a special ceremony, such as baptism for Christian children or a bris for Jewish males in religious families. Adult participants may wear clothing appropriate for religious occasions. The child, in the Christian case, often wears a special christening robe. This white dress, worn by both males and females, is typically extremely long, so that the hem of the dress extends a meter or more past the infant's feet. The adult holding the child to be christened arranges the hem so that it falls free. The hem may be lavishly decorated with lace and embroidery. The christening robe thus serves as a display of wealth and status. Families may carefully preserve a christening robe to be used by several generations of infants.
Read more about this topic: Ceremonial Clothing In Western Cultures
Famous quotes containing the word birth:
“Being in a family is like being in a play. Each birth order position is like a different part in a play, with distinct and separate characteristics for each part. Therefore, if one sibling has already filled a part, such as the good child, other siblings may feel they have to find other parts to play, such as rebellious child, academic child, athletic child, social child, and so on.”
—Jane Nelson (20th century)
“It must appear impossible, that theism could, from reasoning, have been the primary religion of human race, and have afterwards, by its corruption, given birth to polytheism and to all the various superstitions of the heathen world. Reason, when obvious, prevents these corruptions: When abstruse, it keeps the principles entirely from the knowledge of the vulgar, who are alone liable to corrupt any principle or opinion.
”
—David Hume (1711–1776)
“Sin their conception, their birth weeping,
Their life a general mist of error,
Their death a hideous storm of terror.”
—John Webster (c. 1580–1638)