Is it possible to cut hair during baptism? Sacrament of Baptism
From the book of Herman Szymansky “Liturgics: Sacraments and Rites”
WASH
Currently, according to the rites of the Orthodox Church, after the litany “Have mercy on us, O God,” there is no dismissal, and the priest performs two more actions in a row: washing and cutting the hair.
IN ancient Church these two actions were performed on the eighth day after baptism and confirmation. During the previous seven days, the newly baptized carefully preserved the oil and holy chrism received in the two sacraments, and therefore did not wash themselves, nor did they take off the white robes received in baptism. They spent all this time in fasting and prayer, moving away from worldly pleasures and entertainment. The memory of such a practice of the ancient Church is preserved in our Breviary, which refers to ablution on the eighth day.
The ablution is performed according to the following order: the priest reads prayers in which he asks the Lord to preserve the spiritual seal of the newly enlightened person uncorrupted, to make him an invincible ascetic and to grant him eternal life.
Then “he looses,” it is said in the Book of Breviaries, “the child’s belt and the shrouds,” and, having joined their edges, he soaks them in clean water and sprinkles them on the newly baptized, saying: “Thou art justified, thou art enlightened, thou art sanctified, thou hast washed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God."
Then he performs the washing of the body parts anointed with oil and Myrrh with a sponge filled with clean (warm) water, saying the words: “You were baptized, you were enlightened, you were anointed, you were sanctified, you were washed; in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen."
Both the previous and subsequent words indicate the successive performance of the sacraments that the newly baptized person was awarded, namely, the words:
you were justified - indicates forgiveness of sins;
you were baptized - for the sanctification of soul and body in the waters of baptism;
enlightened - at the same time, for the enlightenment of the soul by faith in this sacrament;
anointed - for the sacrament of Confirmation;
sanctified - refers to the sacrament of the Eucharist, which was granted to the newly baptized in the ancient Church for seven days;
washed - refers to the actual ritual of ablution.
TONSURE OF VLAS
Hair cutting occurs after ablution. It is preceded by a prayer in which the priest asks for God’s blessing on the newly baptized person and on his head, so that having succeeded in age, “in the gray hairs of old age the glory of God will rise” and he will see the goodness of Jerusalem.
Then he cuts the hair on the newly baptized head in a cross shape, saying:
“The servant of God (name) is tonsured in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (singers - “Amen”).
Cutting the hair on the head means the newly baptized person’s submission to Jesus Christ and his dedication to serving God.
The cutting of the hair on the head is usually done in the order in which the head is blessed: first the back of the head is cut, then the front of the head, then the right and left sides.
The hair cutting is followed by a short litany: “Have mercy on us, O God,” about the recipient and the newly baptized. And then there is a holiday with a cross, where the saint is usually remembered, in whose honor the name of the baptized person is given. After the dismissal, the cross is given for kissing, first to the newly baptized person, then to the recipients.
CHURCHING
Churching is the introduction of a newly baptized person into church society and inclusion in it. In its origin, churching also has the meaning of permission to enter the temple.
The rite of churching a baby is performed on the 40th day after birth over an already baptized baby.
This rite usually follows immediately after reading “Prayers to the wife in labor on the 40th day” (“the fortieth prayer”). After reading the last (4th) prayer, the priest, taking the baby in his arms, creates an image of the cross for them, first in front of the gates of the temple (in the narthex), saying the words:
“The servant of God (or servant of God) (name) is churched in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.”
Entering the temple, he says:
“He will enter Your house and worship Your holy temple.”
In the middle of the church he again creates the image of the cross with the words:
“The servant of God is becoming churched...” and after them he says:
“In the midst of the church thee will sing.”
Finally, in front of the royal doors for the third time, the priest, creating the image of the cross as a baby, pronounces the same words: “The servant of God is being churched.” And if the baby is male, then he brings it to the altar, carrying it around the throne through a high place, and after bringing it (attaching it) to the local icons, he gives it into the hands of those who brought it. If the baby is female, then it is not brought into the altar, but only before the royal doors. The priest concludes the churching with the prayer of Simeon the God-Receiver: “Now you let go...” and dismissal with the cross.
Many people reduce them to birthday gifts, New Year etc., but in fact, the godfather must take the child to church for Communion and teach him the basics of faith. For example, invite someone on a pilgrimage trip, give them an Orthodox book for children, or give good advice to parents. In other words, they should help in the Orthodox education of your child. But, you must admit, this is only possible if he himself is seriously involved in the church. Therefore, when choosing godparents, first of all, I would advise you to think about whether a person whose actions may clearly indicate an indifferent attitude towards Christianity can help you raise your child in the faith. If godparents do not help you in developing the spiritual life of your child, responsibility for this falls solely on them.
How to behave during a christening?
In principle, there is nothing extremely complicated; they will tell you everything along the way. But first of all, I will once again advise you to find out in advance how exactly the sacrament itself takes place in the temple in which you would like to baptize a child.
The fact is that all churches have different traditions and capabilities. For example, I was baptized in a church where for some reason mothers were not allowed to attend the christenings themselves (this was in the 90s), then about twenty people were baptized at the same time. Now I can explain to myself the peculiarity of this temple: most likely, this is done due to the fact that for the first forty days the woman is in physiological impurity and cannot enter the temple, and so that someone does not sin unknowingly, the problem was solved radically. Although, to be honest, I don’t agree with this policy, especially when it comes to newborns. Imagine a baby in an unfamiliar place, where there is noisy, a lot of strangers and the mother is not around - and it becomes somehow uncomfortable and sorry for the baby.
We baptized our daughter along with six children at the same time, and, to be honest, it was somewhat noisy and fussy. But my goddaughters were all baptized in a small and cozy church. Everything happened quietly and in a family way, the priest, in parallel with the sacrament, managed to joke, and explain difficult moments and advise how best to proceed. In general, everyone was happy.
Let me remind you right away that the godmother cannot participate in the sacraments during her monthly impurity until the end of these days; it is better to reschedule the date. And if you want to take photos or videos during Baptism, then ask the priest for a blessing in advance so that there are no unforeseen complications, and at the same time ask where you can’t go or stand. Once at a wedding I observed the bewilderment of a photographer who was asked to get off the sole. From a human perspective, I understand it - this is an excellent point for shooting, but only a priest can stand there.
And a couple more tips for women. Come without lipstick, otherwise, when you kiss the icons and the cross, you will simply stain them. And if you don’t have a skirt of the appropriate length in your wardrobe, it’s better to come in trousers and put on over the skirt suggested by the churchwomen, so that you will be less embarrassed about your bare knees.
What is needed for baptism?
To baptize a child you need:
- christening shirt;
- a cross on a ribbon (if it was purchased in a store, then it needs to be blessed);
- baptismal icon (as a rule, godparents buy): for a girl - Mother of God for a boy - Christ (this icon should be beautiful and expensive (it is clear that it is within your means), but you must remember that it will be with your child all his life and it is with this icon that you will then bless him upon marriage).
- towel and diaper for baby;
- a handkerchief or paper napkin to wipe your face if necessary.
Why do you cut your hair?
The rite of cutting hair, which takes place immediately after washing off the newly baptized holy Myrrh from the body, has been a symbol of obedience and sacrifice since ancient times. People felt the concentration of strength and energy in their hair. This rite is found both in the rite of initiation into monasticism and in the rite of initiation of readers. The path to restoring Divine beauty, distorted, humiliated, darkened, begins with a sacrifice to God, that is, with offering Him with thanksgiving and joy what has become a symbol of beauty in this world - hair. The meaning of this sacrifice is revealed especially vividly and touchingly during Infant Baptism. The child cannot offer God anything else, and therefore several hairs are cut off from his head with the words: “The servant of God (servant of God) [name] is tonsured in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen".
Why baptize children?
Nowadays the question of the meaninglessness of the Baptism of young children is very often raised. No one denies that there is no specific command in Scripture to baptize children. But there is no direct command to baptize exclusively adults. The Lord said “baptize all nations” (Matthew 28:19). There are no exceptions in these words based on age, nationality or gender.
Yes, these words say nothing about infant Baptism, yes, the baby does not have conscious faith. Yes, the child does not know what the Church is and on what principles it is built. But the Church is not a philosophical circle, it is life in God.
And all mental and spiritual activity of a person cannot be reduced to the work of the mind! And if this is so, then obeying what intellectual movements did John the Baptist, while still in his mother’s womb, feel the approach of the Savior, also still in an embryonic state? When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby in her womb leaped; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:41).
And still…
In general, Orthodoxy as such proceeds from the fact that knowing what air is is one thing, but breathing it is something else. The baby does not know the properties and origin of milk - but cannot live without it. Will any mother say to a sick child: “You need to grow up first, get a medical education, and only when you understand how this medicine acts on the body, and when you promise to never eat snow again, then I will give you the medicine”?
But why does the Church still baptize? Yes, because she takes this baby under her cover, under her protection.
Finally, a little about the sad
There is often information about the possibility of performing baptism on dead babies, giving them names and remembering the unbaptized during the liturgy. Unfortunately - this is actually impossible; for the Lord commanded the apostles to baptize living people, and not dead ones (Mark 16:16). The Church established the 26th rule of the Carthage Council not to baptize the deceased, nor to give them the Divine Mysteries; and in the interpretation, this rule says:
“Presbytery foolishness (if such was allowed) will not help the deceased, for after death, having been baptized by him, he is not baptized.” This rule is placed in the book “The Helmsman,” where the Rules of the holy Apostles and the holy Ecumenical and nine Local Councils are found. In this situation, parents can only prayerfully sigh for such babies to God in their home prayers.
It has always been believed that hair contains the strength and energy of a person. Hair is the habitat of your soul and the spirit of your head. It used to be that every person had a halo around their head. When a person sinned, the rays of heavenly energy became heavier under the influence of sin and fell, turning into hair. But nevertheless, they continue to nourish a person with the energy of heaven.
There are so many superstitions about hair that you can’t trust your hair to just anyone, that after combing you can’t throw your hair away because... if they fly away in the wind, your head will hurt. If you cut your hair, you will lose your strength, so small children under one year old, and in some nations up to 3 years old, should not cut their hair. ...
All signs are based on the fact that any effect on hair can change a person’s life. Therefore, by allowing our hair to be cut off during Baptism, we seem to show our trust in God, we entrust our lives to him, we give our consent to change our lives. Hair is a symbol of obedience and...
Since ancient times, tonsure has been a symbol of obedience and sacrifice. People felt the concentration of strength and energy in their hair. An example is the Old Testament story about Samson (Judges, Chapter 16). This rite is found both in the rite of initiation into monasticism and in the initiation of readers.
IN fallen world The path to restoring Divine beauty, darkened, humiliated, distorted, begins with a sacrifice to God, that is, with offering Him with joy and thanksgiving what has become a symbol of beauty in this world - hair. The meaning of this sacrifice is revealed especially vividly and touchingly during Infant Baptism. The child cannot offer God anything else, and therefore a few scanty hairs are cut off from his head with the words: “The servant of God (the servant of God) is tonsured in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit….
Cutting hair has been a symbol of both obedience and sacrifice since ancient times. For example, the rite of entry into the monastic order is called “tonsuring.”
In the preliminary prayer, the priest glorifies God for giving man His image and creating man with a beautiful body and soul, and every part of him is filled with beauty and meaning. Above all, he placed his head, and in it there are many feelings that do not interfere with each other.
The priest cuts a few strands of hair from the head of the newly baptized person as a sacrifice and dedication to God.
Saying the words: “The servant of God (the name is given here) is tonsured in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” the priest uses special scissors to cut strands of hair from the head of the person being tonsured crosswise in four places: on the back of the head, at the forehead, on the right and left sides of the head .
At this time, the godfather or the person serving the priest prepares a lump of wax, rolling it out thinly so that the hair fits in it. Having molded the wax into a lump along with the hair...
How long before christening should I go to church? We went in two days, but our city is small and we were baptized on a weekday.
How long does a christening last? about an hour
Is the baby dipped in the font or watered with water from it? they lowered us into the font with our feet, where there was water about up to his waist and they poured it on top
Is it true that the mother is not allowed to attend the christening itself? I was there, and then they read a postpartum cleansing prayer over me
Is it necessary to wear a dress/skirt (after childbirth, I can’t fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes)? yes, with a decent length hem (at least just above the knee) and a headscarf or scarf on your head
How did your little ones behave during baptism? Mostly he was calm in his godmother’s arms, looking at everything with curiosity. He cried just a little when they took him out of the font - he didn’t understand why they bathed him so little (he loves it very much)
Is it true that a priest cuts a child’s hair (I read somewhere that he cuts it with a cross...
Help, explain, shower with ideas!!! Girls, after tomorrow my princess turns one year old!!! I’m sitting here racking my brains... how can we organize it... we will celebrate on Saturday, but the day after tomorrow... how can we so competently divide this holiday into two days... oh well, my question is the following:
1. As you know, the godfather must cut his lock of hair in the shape of a cross! Where? on the back of the head, on the side, on the forehead??? and most importantly WHY???
2. who knows the explanation of what is placed in front of the child (keys, money, etc.)
3. those who have already celebrated this wonderful holiday, maybe you have some advice, for example, “this and that was unnecessary, I don’t recommend doing it” or, on the contrary, “I regret that we didn’t do such and such, I advise you” or “we did THIS AND SO we advise you too” Insertion codes:
Copy the code and paste it into the window for creating a post on LiveInternet, having first enabled the “Source” mode there
As it will be…
Why does the Church cut off a lock of a person’s hair during the Sacrament of Baptism?
Why does the Church cut off a lock of a person’s hair during the Sacrament of Baptism?
Because:
This symbolizes that the person being baptized belongs to the Lord. In ancient times, slaves in the Roman Empire had a certain portion of their hair cut off as a sign that the person belonged to his master. Likewise, when cutting hair during the Sacrament of Baptism, a person places his life in the hands of God, accepts the Lord as a slave and promises to obey His will. Today, slavery is perceived by us as an unambiguously negative phenomenon - Christianity taught this to the whole world. But at the same time, Christians know very well that one cannot be absolutely free; a person always remains dependent on something - a slave to his passions and habits. And only in baptism a person, giving himself over to obedience to God, ceases to be a slave of Satan, leaves his power and moves to absolute freedom - under the power and protection of God. V…
And what's funny? The ritual is such that the godfather cuts a cross on the child’s head, but our godfather died recently (((so I’m asking who can do this, instead of him.
this is all just, as you correctly said, a RITE, and nothing more! People came up with such a tradition. It has nothing to do with faith and religion. IMHO, I am intolerant of all kinds of rituals, because it turns out that we don’t particularly believe in God, we don’t follow any of the church’s rules, but the godfather must make a cross on the head of a one-year-old baby. Meaning??!!! and when my child was a year old, no one cut his hair, but they cut it when it was necessary to put his hair in order, when it was time...
View full version: Child's first haircut. Sign-superstition?
17.12.2010, 15:20
I’m interested in the question: why keep a child’s hair after the first haircut? For what, as a keepsake or is there some special meaning in this? My mother says that my first hairs after a haircut are also lying somewhere. She doesn’t know why this is done. When my son had his hair cut for the first time, they gave me his cut hair in an envelope. I’ve been keeping it for 1.5 years now, but I don’t know why.
17.12.2010, 15:24
I have a lock of hair that was cut off at baptism, and after the first cut we threw the hair away.
17.12.2010, 15:26
We had our hair cut at a salon for the first time, the hairdresser collected our hair neatly and gave it to us, I don’t know why, but I keep it
17.12.2010, 15:44
But we don’t keep it, this is the first time I’ve heard about such a sign….
17.12.2010, 15:54
I have a tuft of hair that was cut during...
It has long been believed that a child should not have his first haircut until he is one year old. This is due to the fact that hair contains cosmic energy, and if it is cut ahead of schedule, it will bring misfortune and illness to the child. In Poland, there was a belief that premature haircuts would lead to poverty; Belarusians believed that this would disrupt the development of speech. There are peoples who do not cut their children's hair until they are seven years old, for fear of damaging the child's mind. Among the Goths, kings were not allowed to cut their hair throughout their entire lives from birth. Cutting your hair meant giving up the throne.
…
I won't explain it exactly. I know that adults prepare for communion, read prayers and the Bible. You can’t really prepare children, they are children. Communion of a child protects him from the devil, the evil eye, bad people, that’s how my grandmother explained it to us. Communion usually takes place after the morning service, so if the child is small and it will be difficult for you to stand with him in church for the entire service, find out from the clergy approximately what time the service ends and communion begins. This is the time you come to.
The communion itself is quick, the child is placed or taken on right hand and bring it to the priest. The church minister will ask the child’s name; if the child himself does not speak yet, then the mother will call it. They say: “The baby ... (name) receives communion, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen. At this time, the child is given the so-called Jesus blood to drink from a special spoon, something like a light fruit drink, slightly sour. That's all. Then you can wash it down with either milk or juice. Mom, on the side, can be given a piece of sacred bread if...
Often we do not know how to approach this or that issue related to a wedding, the birth of a child, or family relations refers to the church. We found out the answers to the most common ones.
1. Can I get married if my grandmother recently died?
Yes, you can sign and get married. Grief for the deceased is a personal matter and is measured by love for them.
2. The day before the wedding, my grandfather died, who asked in advance not to postpone the wedding in the event of his death. Should I repent and confess now?
If it was the will of the dying person, there is no sin in it and there is nothing to repent for, but you can confess about it. And of course you should pray for your grandfather.
3. Is it possible to get married in leap year?
The Church considers prohibitions or restrictions on marriage during a leap year to be prejudices and does not distinguish leap years from the rest.
4. On what days can you not get married?
They don’t get married on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays...
View full version: 1 year old child - traditions and their interpretation?
To my godson next week 1 year old I know that there is some kind of tradition that a child is sat on a casing and given a choice of different objects - gold, car keys, paints, a book, a bottle...
I would like to know in more detail this whole procedure with an interpretation, preferably what they cut their hair there (because they will ask me, as a godmother), in what sequence, etc.
Google searches turned up nothing
Therefore, I ask for advice from experienced mothers, fathers and others like them.
Hair is cut on four sides, as at baptism - from the forehead, from the back of the head, above the ears. By a little. Parents keep them, in my opinion, more as a memory than for anything
Although in church the priest told us that this should be done.
And about the casing it’s quite simple. The casing should be spread with the fur facing out, and the baby should be placed on it. They lay out various objects related to different professions in front of him and offer him something...
During the Sacrament of Baptism, a person undergoes a symbolic hair cutting. This ritual has its own special meaning. The person being baptized has his hair cut as a sign of his humility and obedience to the Lord, abandonment of his former sinful life. It is impossible to accept without making a promise to God of true service to Him. Only with sincere intentions and with a pure heart It is possible to accept the Sacrament of Baptism for the salvation of your soul.
The acceptance of Baptism can be figuratively compared to the taking of the oath by military personnel. Just as when taking the oath to the Motherland, military personnel undertake to remain faithful to the Fatherland, to serve its defense even at the cost of their own lives, so during the Sacrament of Baptism, a believer undertakes to serve God with his whole life. Cutting your hair during the Sacrament of Baptism is a confirmation of this promise.
Cutting hair at Baptism signifies belonging to the Lord. In ancient times, slaves in the Roman Empire had a certain part of their hair cut off as a sign that this person was not free, but belonged to his master. Likewise, when cutting hair during the Sacrament of Baptism, a person places his life in the hands of God, accepts the Lord as a slave and promises to obey His will. Awareness of their servitude to the Lord helps Christians fight such sins as pride and exaltation. It happens that having done something good, a person begins to exalt himself about it and consider himself a great benefactor. Holy Gospel We are taught not to think of ourselves more than that we are slaves, unworthy of anything, and have only done what we had to do.
When a child is Baptized, it is necessary to have godparents, since participation in the Sacrament requires a conscious decision to Christian service to the Savior. Since the baby cannot make a conscious decision, the successors must do this for him, taking upon themselves the responsibility of the Christian upbringing of their godson.
If we recall the image of slaves in context, then according to ancient law, the children of slaves belonged to the same master as their parents. So in the Christian faith, if the parents accepted Holy Baptism, during which they cut their hair as a sign of obedience to the Lord, then their children must receive Holy Baptism in Orthodox faith and be brought up in piety and spiritual purity.
May the awareness of one’s belonging to the Lord and the memory of symbolic meaning cutting our hair during the Sacrament of Baptism will help us strive with greater strength to serve the Lord with our whole lives!
The actions you mention are included in the sequence of prayers and actions performed during Holy Baptism in the Orthodox Church.
WITH God's help, I will try to answer your question.
In modern church practice in the Orthodox Church, the sequence (or sequence of actions and prayers) at Holy Baptism includes three parts:
1.Olashenie;
2.Baptism;
3. Confirmation.
Each part has its own prayers and actions.
All these parts are very ancient and go back to the times of the apostles.
To answer your question, you need to touch on each part in more detail.
Announcement:
The fact is that the first Christians were not baptized immediately, but went through a special testing, initial (or catechumen) period. The Apostle Paul mentions this: “He was instructed in the rudiments of the way of the Lord…. ." In the original Church Slavonic: “This was proclaimed the way of the Lord...” (Acts.18;25).
Baptism:
This part includes directly actions and prayers related to the Sacrament of Baptism.
Here, before water Baptism, the person being baptized is anointed with holy oil (or oil) as a reminder of the Gospel parable of the ten virgins and ten lamps. Thus allowing the person who wishes to be baptized to remember once again that he will have a meeting with the Lord Jesus Christ and that the lamp of his soul will always be full of the oil (or oil) of faith.
At the same time, the use of holy oil symbolizes the approaching joy of Baptism, because a new one is born spiritual person. The prophet Isaiah says about oil symbolizing joy: “...instead of mourning there is the oil of joy...” Isaiah 61.3
Water Baptism is a Sacrament of the church, where the word itself contains the meaning of the Divine presence in what is happening, incomprehensible to man.
After baptism, a person becomes a member of the Church and can take part in the Church Sacraments. Undoubtedly, baptism with complete immersion in water is correct and canonical.
Baptism is performed in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The meaning of Water Baptism is the immersion in the abyss of one’s sins, the death of one’s old man and the rise of a new man in Christ Jesus.
“Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin” (Romans 6:6).
The sin of the sinful ancestors of mankind Adam and Eve is forgiven in Holy Baptism, and a person is born again. But... without losing the inclination to sin.
3. Confirmation.
In ancient Christian Church, after Baptism, the apostles established the laying on of hands on those baptized in order for the Holy Spirit to descend on them.
“And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them...” (Acts 19; 6).
The Apostles, having dispersed with the sermon about the Risen Christ throughout the entire earth, could not have time to lay hands on all those who were baptized and therefore blessed the laying of hands on the Bishops they appointed. Subsequently, as the number of believers increased, even the bishops could no longer be present everywhere in person in order to have time to lay hands on those who were baptized. Then baptism began to be entrusted to elders and priests, but in order to preserve the episcopal ordination blessed by the apostles, the form of the sacrament was changed. They began to prepare a special myrrh (fragrant oil) which was blessed by the Bishops and then the priests anointed the body parts of those being baptized with this myrrh. Thus, the continuity of the apostolic traditions was preserved.
The use of peace is a very ancient tradition. IN old testament the composition of the world for sacred anointing was indicated to Moses by God Himself (Ex. 30, 22-25).
The Apostle Paul also refers to anointing when he says: “He who established you and me in Christ and anointed us is God, who sealed us and gave the deposit of the Spirit into our hearts” (2 Cor. 1: 21-22).
Now about the clothes in which people are baptized and about cutting their hair.
The clothes in which a person is baptized come into contact with the Holy World, which is a Shrine, and simply washing it will be a disrespectful attitude towards the Shrine.
In ancient times, clothes were not removed for 8 days after Baptism. All these days, the baptized person went to the Temple every day and received the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Places on the body anointed with holy myrrh were washed off with water. The first Christians prepared the clothes in which they were baptized for their burial.
The practice of cutting one's hair in a promise to serve Christ is very ancient and dates back to the Apostolic Church.
So the Apostle Paul says: “... And take off Aquila and Priscilla, having shaved their heads in Knechrea according to a vow” (Acts 18:18).
Because after Holy Baptism a person becomes new spiritually, nevertheless, he does not lose his tendency to sin. The Church teaches that a person needs to work so that sin does not prevail over him. So the Apostle Paul says: “Sin must not have dominion over you...” (Romans 6:14).
Therefore, adhering to the tradition of the ancient Christians Orthodox Church cuts off the hair of the person being baptized, reminding him that he promises to serve God faithfully and with a clear conscience.
As the Apostle Peter says: “So now baptism, like this image, saves us, not the washing away of the uncleanness of the flesh, but the promise to God of a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21)
Historically, hair was cut differently in different places, in some places it was cut completely, in others it was cut in the form of a cross. Currently, several hairs are cut in a cross shape on the head of the person being baptized.
The often used tradition of preserving hair during Baptism also originates from ancient times, when those who were baptized, wanting to save themselves from the temptations of the world, in this way reminded themselves of what the Lord had delivered them from through Holy Baptism. Although this tradition is not universal, in some places the cut hair is burned.
About the time of Baptism.
In the first centuries of Christianity, Baptism was performed on major holidays, which were usually preceded by a fast established by the church.
One of these holidays is Easter - Bright Resurrection Christ's.
Those admitted by the bishop to Holy Baptism received instructions on how to conduct the fast, and on the designated Feast Baptism was performed.
God help you!
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