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:
“Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.”
—Bible: New Testament, Matthew 1:18,19.
“For birth was a disease and Christopher and I invented the cure.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)
“No body can conceive that nature ever intended to throw away a Newton upon the occupations of a crown. It would have been a prodigality for which even the conduct of providence might have been arraigned, had he been by birth annexed to what was so far below him.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)