www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Baptismal Garment

Is there a tradition (whether ancient or modern) of Neophytes wearing their Baptismal Garment for some period of time, like a month or 40 days or something like that?

We just had a baptism in our parish and it would be a nice tradition to continue/revive, if we knew what the tradition was.

Thanks for your help!

Herb

Yes, there is such a tradition, though the period of time for wearing the white garment is a bit variable. I believe that the Church Abroad maintains this tradition for adult neophytes to the present day, so perhaps asking a priest of the Church Abroad for the details of their practice in the matter would produce some practical information.
Incognitus

Not positive but I think in the Latin Church there was a tradition for the neophytes to wear their baptismal garment for the Octave of Easter.
Stephanos I

Stephanos is quite right. In the Latin calendar the Sunday after Pascha is sometimes called "dominica in albis", because on that day the neophytes wore their white garments to church for the final time.
Incognitus

Dear Friends,

There is also an Orthodox tradition to wear a white baptismal robe, with a red Cross on the back, to wade into the river Jordan with when one visits there.

This is in celebration of one's Baptism and the robe is then kept as a precious relic for all time.

The Ethiopian Orthodox do this each year at the feast of the Theophany/Baptism of our Lord and wade into rivers for a sacramental celebration of baptism (which is not, however, a repetition of baptism) as Fr. Dr. P. Bilaniuk once described at a lecture he gave.

Was there not a discussion once about whether the priest's undergarment is the baptismal robe and that, at one time, all Christians wore the white robe to church - something which also covered up class differences among the faithful?

Is this true about the priest's undergarment? What about a return to the practice of wearing the white baptismal robe each Sunday and Holy-day?

What do you think, Incognitus? You are a priest, aren't you?

Alex

Thanks all for your helpful and informative comments.

I shall inform the priest accordingly.

Fascinating stuff about the post baptism "baptisms".

I have also heard that Greeks have the pious custom of doing a "ritual baptism" in the Jordan when they make their pilgrimage to Israel.

Is that true? And whence came such a practice. It sounds wonderful to me.

Herb

Dear Herb,

I once saw a Greek Orthodox convent on the internet that sew white robes with red crosses for just such ritual "dunkings" in the Jordan.

But any Orthodox convent will sew one for you - as I subsequently found out from my local convent here.

This practice has been going on for some hundreds of years, I am told by the Abbess, as a way of linking oneself to Christ in the Jordan, the Feast that celebrates the inauguration of Baptism in Christ and the Holy Trinity.

The East Slavs cover the newly baptized baby in a "chrismo" or white cloth that symbolizes the Bright Garment of salvation.

This is then sewn into an embroidered shirt or "rubashka" that the person wears to church.

The Old Believers traditionally ONLY wear the rubashka of their baptism to Church and never any other item.

It would be nice if the tradition of wearing the white robe to church would come back, no?

Alex

Wasn't this Sunday known as Whitsunday on the English translation of the Roman Calendar?

Reverend Father Deacon John,
I believe that is not correct. Whitsun is an anglo saxon term for Pentecost. Hvitsunnadagur in Icelandic.
Stephanos I

So why IS pentecost called Hvitsunnadagur? What's white about white sunday?

curious minds etc....

Herb

Bingo!
I have your answer.
It comes from Middle English whitsondei which comes from Old English (akin to Icelandic) Hwita Sunnadaeg literaly White Sunday.
Petacost was the secondary time for Baptism in the Latin Church. The candidates were dressed in white hence the term Whitsun.
Stephanos I
There was a whitsuntide, the three days after Pentecost.

Mystery (as it were) solved!

Thanks all!

Herb