Don't Shake the Baby

Earlier this month our friends Makeesha & Nika returned to Tbilisi to baptize their son Luka. Almost 2 years ago we attended Makeesha & Nika's wedding in an historic church just outside Tbilisi. Now we were fortunate to be invited to the baptism of their son in the Georgian Orthodox church. The baptism was held in a church across the street from my old apartment in a newly renovated section designed specifically for this sacrament.

Traditionally in the Orthodox church mothers do not attend the baptism. Makeesha, however, was having none of that. The church allowed her to be present but she could not be involved in the ceremony. Instead Nika's sister, Nino, was on hand to help out when needed (pictured below in the white head scarf).



Nika & Makeesha selected 2 Godfathers for Luka instead of the traditional Godfather and mother. This is a result of the specific criteria for being a Godparent in the Orthodox church. One of the stipulations is that the Godparents cannot be relatives of the child. Below are Luka's 2 Godfathers and the priest performing the ceremony. We exchanged a couple jokes about a Georgian children's book coming out this fall entitled, Luka Has Two Godfathers.



Baptism in the Georgian Orthodox church is a total body experience. The baby is fully submerged 3 times and is then walked around the baptismal pool 3 times. Luka was quietly sleeping up until this part of the ceremony. The poor little guy was shocked awake by the cold air and water.



After each submersion the priest pulled Luka out of the water and gave him a healthy shake. Those of us in the room who have watched too much AFN (Armed Forces Network, our television provider) know the public service announcement Don't Shake the Baby. We each exchanged knowing looks and tried not to crack a smile.



Luka settled down after he was re-diapered and wrapped up. Makeesha did a great job remaining calm while her son was screaming and she was not allowed to comfort him. Those of us who were allowed to remain and observe this ceremony were lucky to be a part of this cultural experience. As with all major life events in Georgia we left the church and headed to the supra for delicious food, wine and dancing.