A humanist naming ceremony is a joyful non-religious event which welcomes and celebrates a child joining your family. This is a momentous life occasion, you and your child deserve a ceremony that’s personal and meaningful.
Humanists believe that we are all part of the natural world, a product of natural processes. So the season of spring, which brings with it budding plants and new arrivals, can be a wonderful time of year for families to have a meaningful naming day.
Here we share some ideas for planning a spring naming ceremony.
1. Hold the ceremony outside
Celebrating your child’s spring naming ceremony outside, whether in your garden or at a park, creates a wonderful connection to the natural world and provides a lovely venue for this special day. The vibrant colours of the plants, the sounds of nature, and the open sky contribute to an environment that can enhance a humanist naming ceremony.
Tip: Although spring is generally mild, as we know in the UK it’s essential to have a contingency plan for unexpected weather changes! Consider renting a marquee or pop-up gazebo, or having an indoor space nearby as a backup.
2. Include the symbolism of nature
Nature, particularly in the spring, is a great symbol of new beginnings aligning perfectly with the idea of welcoming a new life into the world and with humanist values.
Embrace the season by transforming your chosen venue into a spring oasis!
Decorating the location in the theme of spring with seasonal spring flowers and bright pastel colours, will make a space that appeals to small children and adult guests alike. Nature, with its cycles of growth and renewal, can serve as a powerful symbol for celebrating this significant milestone.
3. A Wish Tree
Invite family members and friends to contribute labels to hang on a tree, each bearing personal messages of advice or affirmations to your child. The labels can be shaped like leaves or flowers and can be added to the tree one by one.
This can be a wonderfully poignant moment in the naming ceremony highlighting the support that surrounds your child and symbolising growth.
You could use a real tree or a fake tree, and then the labels can then be taken off and kept as a memento of the day.
4. Nature-themed poetry or readings
Embrace the season during the ceremony by selecting poems and readings which talk about the natural world. Collaborate with your humanist celebrant for suggestions on poems and readings of a certain theme and how best to weave these reflections seamlessly into the ceremony.
Your Humanist Ceremonies celebrant will be able to help you find the right readings for your child’s naming day and there are also many great quotes in The Little Book of Humanism, like this one by Humanist favourite George Elliot, taken from her novel The Mill on the Floss:
“We could never have loved the earth so well if we had had no childhood in it, if it were not the earth where the same flowers come up again every spring that we used to gather with our tiny fingers as we sat lisping to ourselves on the grass, the same hips and haws on the autumn hedgerows, the same redbreasts that we used to call ‘God’s birds’ because they did no harm to the precious crops. What novelty is worth that sweet monotony where everything is known and loved because it is known?”
― George Eliot, The Mill on the Floss
5. Plant a tree or bulbs
Planting a tree or bulbs on this special occasion is a lovely idea and a great way to involve other children or family members in the ceremony. Planting also provides the opportunity to include words about the importance of nurturing and caring for the growth of the child.
Summer flowering bulbs provide some of the most exciting blooms, and spring is the best time to plant them! Planning a summer-flowering flower like begonias and lilies will mean that you can have a special moment at your spring naming ceremony and then also have a beautiful reminder of the day when the flowers bloom in the summer months.
Next steps
Humanist naming ceremonies
A naming ceremony in spring with a humanist celebrant is a unique opportunity to celebrate a child’s arrival into your family in a way that reflects your values.
You can find out more about our naming ceremonies here. Each ceremony is non religious and is personal to the family, written and developed in conversation with the parents.
Find a celebrant
If you would like a bespoke naming ceremony for your baby or child, you can use our ‘Find a celebrant’ map to find a Humanist Ceremonies naming celebrant in your area.
