Growing up, I was raised Catholic while my husband was raised Jewish (he’s very happy that I’ve developed a skillset when it comes to making matzo ball soup, brisket, and latkes) . Both of our religions and cultural backgrounds are deeply important to us, and something we’ve always discussed is making sure our baby Samuel is introduced to both of our unique worlds. We want him to experience all the traditions and holidays that are so very special to each of us and have been a core piece of our relationship.

When Samuel was first born, we had a baby naming ceremony with the same Rabbi who married us (Rabbi Brian), and then, a little over a year later, we had him baptized at the same Catholic church where I was baptized as a baby.

For the naming ceremony, which included a delicious spread of bagels and lox, we wanted to include our closest family members in the long-standing tradition. To do so, we leveraged the “Covenant of the 5 Senses," which provides a chance to formally introduce your baby to each of their senses, connecting them to the world around them and their covenant with the Jewish people. While I can’t say I’ve been to a lot of baby naming ceremonies or have a strong knowledge-base on this traditional practice, I can say that having our families participate directly in the ceremony was really beautiful. It provided an opportunity to personalize the experience, bringing family members and important artifacts into the mix. As part of our 5 senses ritual, we included the following:

Sight: David’s mother, along with my parents, shared photos of Samuel’s namesakes (his grandfather on David’s side, Samuel Singer, along with his two papas on my side - Papa Domenic John Caligaris, Papa John Lindvay and his Uncle, John Caligaris). Hence, Samuel Gianni!
Touch: David’s sister and brother-in-law wrapped our little nugget in his late grandfather’s tallit (you can see him bundled up in the pictures below).
Smell: My brother and sister-in-law shared basil from our vegetable garden, representing a key ingredient in many of the delicious Italian meals he’ll be eating for years and years to come in our household.
Sound: David’s sister-in-law and nephew performed a song with guitar accompaniment, introducing baby Samuel to music - one of the many joys life has to offer and a staple in our household.
Taste: My Uncle Bobby introduced Samuel to the family wine from the Caligaris cellar - I believe it may have been a Sangiovese (my Dad, uncles and Grandpa all used to make their own wine, and my Dad and Uncle Bobby have carried on the tradition).

Catholic Baptism

Continuing to honor our mixed religion household, we held a small baptism ceremony at the church where I was raised, and where my family continues to attend. We invited only close family to the event and had one of my best friends Tiff join in the festivities (a perfect way to have her with us for the special occasion and also enlist a great photographer for the day). This ritual was not only special because of Samuel getting baptized, but because we also baptized my niece Luci, who is just a few months younger than our little man. It was truly wonderful to have the little cousins together enjoying what Samuel deemed as yet another fantastic water table (he did in fact splash in the holy water as if he was in full “go mode” in our backyard in a swim diaper).

After the ceremony, my parents graciously hosted a little party at their house. It was a very casual get together with lunch and some sweet treats. Food was catered from a local restaurant, the cake was bought from King Soopers and I had my mom add on some white roses to spruce it up. As for the cross cookies and wafer cookies, I’m proud to say that I decorated them myself (really simple!). The party wasn’t elaborate by any means, but it was a very special day, filled with love and family - the thing that matters most. (Mamma’s Pointer: For those who get easily stressed when hosting events like this one, remember that a few small touches can go a long way to elevating the space. A couple of roses on a grocery store cake, framed photos, and nicely decorated cookies can all “upgrade” the feel of a familiar space like your parent’s kitchen).