Mexican Family Tradition: Baptism
Tara A. Spears
Mexico has a culture that incorporates customs that originated in religion but evolved into secular traditions. An example is the tradition of baptism which continues to be practiced in modern Mexico. This is a celebration of new life that includes a church service but the main emphasis is the grand fiesta that follows with dinner, live music, dancing and extended family and friends having a good time together.
The baby’s parents have a serious task when selecting the godfather and godmother for the baptism. Tradition has a method, although the customary selection process has changed in the last 50 years. Before, who was asked to the baptismal sponsors varied according to the number of children. For the first child, the godfather of baptism was the paternal grandfather and the godmother of baptism was the maternal grandmother; the second son had as sponsors of baptism the maternal grandfather and the paternal grandmother; for the third child, the father’s brother and the mother’s sister; and so on.
In the 21st century the birth rate is lower and also many parents have their first child later, so sometimes grandparents have already passed away. The friends of the family or the uncles of the parents have come to take the place of the grandparents as godparents and godmothers.
Those invited to be a godparent have social obligation to accompany the baptized child in the Christian life and help him with all his doubts and problems. Being a sponsor is a wonderful privilege. Once the christening is over, the sponsor or godmother will have the duty to always watch over their godson. Therefore, it is normal to hear that if something happened to the parents throughout the child’s life the Godparents would be responsible for acting as parents for both the moral and physical upbringing. 
bIn order to become godparents of baptism, the church requires that the person be Catholic, be baptized and confirmed; and that he has reached the age of 14. He must also be a practicing Christian and lead an honest life, as he will be an example for the child. It does not matter if they are single, but if they are married they must have been married by the Church. During the ceremony, the sponsor is responsible for holding the baptismal candle; while the godmother takes care of holding the baby. Although it is not mandatory, sponsors usually provide the candle and a bible as a gift to their godson or goddaughter. The Padrino and madrina give a gift of cigars to family and friends if the baby is a boy and chocolates if is a girl. The sponsors also traditionally give a cross to the baby as a reminder of the ceremony.
The baptismal clothes for a baby should always be white, although there have also been changes in recent years that incorporate a blue tie for a male or a pink ribbon for the female. Dressing the baby in white is a symbol of purity. In addition, during the ceremony the baby is given a kind of white cape (ropon), with which he is clothed with Christ.
Using holy water is another of the baptismal traditions from centuries past. The water purifies the soul of the child and cleanses the Original Sin. The baptismal tradition consists of pouring holy water on the baby’s head.
The traditional baptismal candle that the godfather carries in his hand is lit from the flame of the Paschal candle in the sanctuary in which the baptism is celebrated. The candle symbolizes calling the child to spiritual light since from the moment the baptismal candle is lit, the child is asked to be a light of the world.
After the church portion of the day comes the family celebration! Since the point of a christening is getting a name and becoming an angel for God, the theme of the party includes the child’s name on centerpieces and party favors. Weeks before the scheduled ceremony, a personalized invitation was sent to guests with the time and location of the christening and party. It is standard to have an open bar, delicious dinner, desert table that is a big hit with the children, and live mariachi music for dancing.
Many Mexicans believe that Baptisms should be celebrated in a big way because it only happens once in a child’s life, unlike a birthday. Mexicans love making a big deal of this special day in a child’s life. If you are ever invited to a traditional baptism don’t miss the opportunity to participate in a wonderful custom.