Celebrating the arrival of a new baby into your family and circle of friends is both a joyful and serious occasion. You are not only introducing them by name, you may also want to mark your commitment to their welfare and to them as significant people in your lives. You might also wish to take the opportunity of including older children in a ceremony.  A Humanist naming ceremony is most often held in the home of a family member or close friend.

With the help of a Humanist celebrant you can:

• plan the ceremony that is right for your family and your situation, as short or as long as you like (bearing in mind the attention span of small children)
• choose the words that you feel best express your hopes and promises
• decide who to include in the ceremony such as brothers and sisters, family or friends
• choose ‘Special Friends’, ‘Guide-Parents’ or even ‘Odd Parents’ to act as supporting adults with a special interest in your child

Celebrants in the Humanist Ceremonies™ network are friendly, trained and experienced. They are practised at creating a sense of occasion and linking all the contributions from everyone involved. They can suggest poetry, prose readings and music and, of course, special ways of marking the ceremony for the child, or children, at its heart.  They help to make these naming ceremonies welcoming, happy and truly memorable events.

New Arrivals: a BHA publication, includes a range of sample ceremonies, practical tips, ideas and selections of poetry and prose which many non-religious families have found useful.

Related links

• Find a Humanist celebrant
• Fees for Humanist Namings

Please click here to download our information leaflet on Humanist Namings.