How We Celebrate A Baptismal Birthday

This weekend we celebrated our two daughters' baptismal birthdays. [To read up on what Lutherans believe about baptism, click  here and here --its a .pdf, don't be surprised.] Both our girls (ages 6 and 2), coincidentally, were baptized on the same Sunday of the Church year (Christ the King Sunday), albeit four years apart. 

I found these foam crown shapes and stickers at the Dollar Tree.  Given the Sunday's theme, the crowns seemed appropriate.  We talked about what it means when someone has a crown (They have power, control.  they are in charge.)   We discussed how God is the King and they were made daughter's of the king (effectively princesses and I love to couch that term in this framework versus Disney's definition). I asked what does a king do for his family?  Our eldest responded:  He takes care of them.  He protects them.  He gives them duties in the kingdom.  So we talked about what her duties were:  To be faithful to God, to love her neighbor ( in her "Kingdom" of daughter, sister, friend, etc.).  I was so thankful for the opportunity to begin discussing vocation with her.

When we started dinner, I brought out the baptismal candles (one was from the day our oldest was baptized and our other daughter was baptized at a church that didn't use candles in their rite, so we improvised.  We may purchase a baptismal candle that looks like her big sister's for next year.) and our Christ Candle we made at Easter.  We lit them all and sang "God's Own Child I Gladly Say It" instead of singing something akin to "Happy Birthday".  After we sang, I asked the girls to look at the candles and tell me what happened when I turned off the lights.  Our oldest replied: "Nothing!  It's still lit. Try turning off more lights."  And so I did until our entire downstairs was dark except for the candles.  I talked with our girls about how we have "dark times" in life, when we feel afraid, lonely, sad...when our hearts hurt.  But the candle didn't go out when it got dark, it stayed lit.  And God is faithful, even in the dark times.  He does not change.  The promises He gave us at our Baptism don't change.  I pray that these words linger in their ears their entire lives. 

   We served shells and cheese and we recalled how a shell is used to pour the water in our baptisms (although our daughter was quick to point out that you don't have to use the shell). 

For their actual baptismal birth date, I made a special breakfast.  I've heard this referred to several different ways:  bird's nest, toad-in-the-hole, etc.  But it's essentially a shape cut out of the middle of a slice of bread, with a fried egg in the middle.  I heat butter in a skillet and put the bread in first, then the egg.  Cook the egg as you normally would, flip and finish.  It's imperative that you cook the little cut out bit of bread as well (in the skillet) because dipping it in the runny egg yolk is SO delicious.  This morning I made a  cross cut out shape and we talked about how she received the sign of the cross both upon her forehead and heart, marking her as the Lord's.  

We try, each year, to give our children a  gift that affirms and celebrates their baptism.  This year, I created a t-shirt for each of them with their date and the first half of the hymn we sang.  If you'd like one, I'm selling them in my Etsy store. Our daughter declared that t-shirts are for her pajamas, so we haven't been able to get a picture of her in it yet. 

We try our best, as parents, to instill the importance of Baptism in our children, in hopes that they find their identity in the font, where they were put to death with Christ and raised to new, eternal life with Him. (Romans 6:3-5)  I used to have a professor who ended each class telling us, "Remember who you are and Whose you are."  I pray for our children that they find confidence and security in their Creator and the promises and work He's given and accomplished in their Baptisms.  And that's why we really whoop it up for their Baptismal birthday!