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What is the role of a Godparent during Christmas and Epiphany?

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greek_ggirl

greek_ggirl

Active member
I know these are pretty important religious holidays, so I'm wondering...what is the role of the Godparent on these important days? For those of you that are Godparents, what do you do with your Godchild on these days?
 
So, the role of the godparent, big picture, is to make sure that the child is on track to learn about Orthodoxy and participate in the sacraments. Christmas is a great time to make sure that the child gets communion, learns about Advent, the Advent fast, the story of Christmas, etc. It is also good to get the godchild a nice gift, maybe something religious like an icon, plus a monetary gift.

The extra things, like the gift giving, are not spiritually based, but is more of a tradition. My godparents always gave me a generous gift this time of year.

Here's an overview of spiritual duties of a godparent:

www.greekboston.com

Ongoing Spiritual Duties of a Greek Godparent

Greek Orthodox Godparent, you are asked to perform your spiritual duties during the Christening and to oversee the child’s spiritual growth and development.
www.greekboston.com www.greekboston.com
 
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How did your family spend summers in Greece?

I’m curious how many of you spent summers in Greece growing up.

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I always found those stories fascinating and sometimes wished I had experienced that myself.

For those of you who did spend summers in Greece, what was it like? Did you stay in a village, a city, or on an island? What did your typical days look like? Are there any traditions, memories, or experiences that still stand out to you today? I'd love to hear your stories!

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In my family, name days were always open-house style, people calling, stopping by, bringing sweets, and it felt very communal. Birthdays, on the other hand, were more low-key.

Do you feel like name days still carry that same weight today? Or has it changed depending on the generation or where you live?

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I’m looking forward to hearing how this tradition shows up for others.

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