Week 1 How do Christians welcome a new baby? How do Muslims welcome a new baby?

Lesson 1 (Part 1) - How do Christians welcome a new baby?

What am I learning to do?

• Think of reasons why many Christian families baptise their babies. 
• Look for similarities and differences between two different baptisms.
• Find out more about welcoming ceremonies in Islam.
• Look for similarities and differences between baptism in Christianity and belonging ceremonies in Islam.

Introduction

• Can children remember anything about being a baby, your first word, the first food you ate, etc?

• Do the you or your adult have mementoes of when you and your siblings were babies- such as framed scan images, photos, baby books, little hand or foot prints?
• Why do parents keep these mementoes?
• Explain that when a new baby arrives it is a very special time- it is like a gift has been given to the family.
• Today in our lesson we are going to learn about how a new baby is welcomes into religious groups.
• Have you or anyone you know been baptised or christened. You might have attended a Baptism/Christening before.
• A baptism or Christening is a celebration or service welcoming someone into a Christian church. 

Watch Clip 1 below to see the Baptism or Christening of a child called Jamie. 

Parent notes 

Think about whether your child is likely to know what baptism will actually involve. (If you know they don't have any experience of baptism, this is not a problem, just pause regularly during the clip and encourage them to ask questions about it or revisit some of the bits they didn't understand at the end. You can also email us to ask if they ask questions you are unsure about) 

Discussion Time

• Ask your child 'How can we show something new and exciting is about to start?'  (They may not know but it is good for them to have a think about this) You could talk about them having a new uniform for the start of a new school year or something similar. 
• Explain that Christians show it with water- symbolising a clean, fresh start. 

Watch Clip 2 of the Baptism/Christening

Discussion Time 

After watching the clip, talk about the water.

• How many times was water poured on Jamie’s head? (3)
• This is done 3 times to remind them of God the father, Jesus the son and the Holy Spirit. 
• These are the three ways Christians understand God.
• The candle symbolises the way a new baby is like a shining light.

Watch an adult Baptism by clicking the link below. 

• Compare this Baptism with baby Jamie's baptism. 

Discussion Time

• What is the same?
• What is different?
• What questions do you have? What are you wondering?
• Do you think the meaning behind baptism is the same?

Remember that Baptism = being welcomed into a Christian church.

(Whatever your age) 

Summing up - Key facts

A parent might keep mementoes from these baptism ceremonies to remember this special day.

They might keep 

• a candle that was lit during the service
• the service leaflet to remember the day and the promises they made
• the white clothes/robe or gown the person wore on the day
•  photos
• congratulations cards
• a little bottle of water the font or baptismal pool
• sometimes cutlery (e.g. a special metal spoon) or an ornament with the date of the event on it. 
• a certificate given by the vicar
• a Bible
• other gifts the baby was given - sometimes they might be given jewellery such as a cross on a chain that they can wear when they are older.

Activity - Draw a picture of the thing you would keep and tell your adult why you chose that item. 

Lesson 1 (Part 2) - Welcoming a baby in Islam

Introduction 

• Ask 'What do you think the most important thing about being a Muslim might be?'
• The most important thing at the centre of all Muslim life is faith in Allah.
• When a baby is first born in a Muslim family, the first thing the baby hears is the call to prayer.

What happens at the Call to Prayer?

• The first way Muslims show belonging is with the 'Call to Prayer'
• The most important words of the prayer are ‘Allahu Akbar’- God is great.
• The whole prayer is called the ‘Call to Prayer’ as it calls Muslims to worship Allah.
• This prayer is whispered in the baby's right ear.
• Anyone can whisper this to the child but it is usually the baby’s father.
• Listen to one example of the 'Call to prayer' - there are many different versions in the same way there are different versions of your favourite song. 

What is Aqiqah (pronounced Ak-kee-ka)?

• In the Islamic faith, Muslims welcome babies in a ceremony called the Aqiqah

• This is when the baby is introduced to family and friends.

• They celebrate and share a meal together.

• They join with loved ones to thank Allah (God) for giving them a child.

• The Aqiqah is hosted by the parents of the new baby and may be held in their own home or in a hall or community centre.

• The Aqiqah is usually held on the seventh day after the baby is born.

• If this is not possible, it might be held on the 14th or the 21st day after the baby’s birth.

• Guests often bring along cards and gifts for the baby. The hall or home where the Aqiqah is held may be decorated with balloons and other decorations

• Traditionally, a family would sacrifice an animal, such as a sheep or goat, and give some of the meat to poor people.

• In Britain today, Muslims usually order the meat from caterers or butchers for the party and
  give money to charities who feed poor people.

• What would you eat at a celebration feast?

Weight of hair - Key facts

• A Muslim should be generous and share what they have with others.
• Ask - How could a tiny baby could share what they have? It is possible?
• In order to show that they expect the baby to grow up as a loving and generous adult, Muslims gently shave the baby’s hair.
• They then announce the baby's name. 
• Then place the hair in scales and weigh it. 
• They give the same weight as the hair in gold and they give it as a gift to the poor.
• This is to start their life being generous and sharing what they have. 

Summing up the session - Key things to remember today

Two important aspects of being Muslim are performed when a baby is born

1. Faith in Allah

2. Being generous and kind.

Activity -What mementoes of these ceremonies do you think Muslim parents might keep? Draw your thoughts. 

• cards
• gifts
• balloons

Week 2

Lesson 1 - How do some people show they belong to one another?

What are we learning to do?

• Find out more about elements of Christian and Jewish weddings; rings and vows. 
• Think of reasons why people choose to make promises to one another when they get married. 
• Give simple reasons for why Jewish people get married under a Chuppah. 

Introduction - Talk together about friendship 

• Ask your child to tell you what they think makes a friend.
• What do you have to do to be a good friend?
• Do you ever make promises to your friends?
• What do you bring to their friends; jokes, games, toys?
• What do your friends give to you?

Explain we are going to look at how two people show they belong to each other with a ring and a promise.

Watch Clip 1 - Anna and Prince Hans Clip

Discussion about the clip

Ask - Why won’t Elsa let Anna marry Prince Hans after one day? (Because they don’t know each other.)

Discussion Questions 

• Can your child tell you how many times they met before they got married? (147)
• Discuss why it is important to know each other well before you get married. 
• Marriage involves looking after each other for the rest of your lives, so people make promises to each other on their wedding day.
• Ask your child to think about what promises would be important if two people were going to get on well, live together and help each other.

Look at the photos of the wedding ring below. 

• Ask - Do you know what wedding rings symbolise? 
• Explain that they mean an unbroken chain between the people who are married as well as God.
• At a wedding the couple place rings on each other’s fingers as part of their promise to each other.
• Many people wear their wedding rings all the time to show that they are committed to their promise. 

Look at the Anglican Wedding Vows

(Anglicans are one type of Christianity) 

Activity 1 - Cut up paper hearts and give to individual children.

• Look at the vows again.
• Ask your child to choose one of the three promises in it and design a symbol (a simple picture) to show what they mean.

e.g. ‘I will look after you when you are ill’, (you could draw a plaster or a first aid kit or a hug)

e.g. ‘I will still love you if we are poor’ (you could draw an empty piggy bank or a single coin)

Belonging to each other in a Jewish marriage

Thinking about your own experiences

• Ask your child if they have been to a wedding or seen one on TV?
• Have they ever noticed that sometimes people cry at a wedding? 
• Have you ever cried about a happy time?

Key facts to share about Jewish Weddings

• Jews also make vows and give wedding rings.
• Traditionally, girls lived with their parents until they were married.
• They started a new household with their new husband.
• As well as the happiness of the wedding, the bride’s parents might feel sad that she is leaving their home.
• Homes are a very important symbol of a Jewish wedding.
• The couple will set up their new home where they will support each other, and may have children of their own.
• Remind children of the Shabbat ceremony they watched in the previous session.
• This is not the only important things happen in a Jewish home.
• Show an image of the Jewish wedding Chuppah - this is  a canopy which stands over the couple at the ceremony. It has a roof but no sides.
• The roof symbolises the new home the couple will create together.
• The open sides symbolise how their now home will be open to friends and family.

Key facts about the song

• This is a traditional Jewish song of celebration. 
• The phrase means ‘let us rejoice’ in Hebrew.
• It is played at weddings.
• How do pupils feel while listening to this song?
• It is uplifting and makes you want to dance. 
• There is also a slight mournful note.
• This could be because people feel mixed emotions at a wedding.

Activity 2 - Complete your Chuppah worksheet

Write on the canopy one or two words describing what we hope when a couple get married, such as ‘love’, ‘happiness’, ‘children’, ‘friendship’.

(If you don't have a pack, search Google for 'chuppah clipart' or draw a simple canopy. 

Worksheet

Rounding off the session

If you have covered both Christianity and Judaism use the wedding hearts and wedding chuppahs they have written on, otherwise use whichever one you worked on.

• Give your child a pieces of card or paper folded in half to make a card. 
• Pupils will stick their hearts and/or chuppahs on the front to make a friendship card.
• Write a special message inside- It could be for someone at home or someone outside of their home.
• You could write why you like someone, a funny joke or a nice promise to someone.
• Ask your child what the reaction was when they gave the recipient their friendship card.