Old Photograph Christening Kirkwall Orkney Islands Scotland

Old photograph of a Christening in Kirkwall on the Orkney Islands, Scotland. Celebrated immediately after the baptism, this generally took place within two weeks of the birth, but more often within the first week. Any Orkney child that died without being christened could not be buried in the consecrated ground of the kirkyard. In an age where infant mortality was high, christening was considered, unsurprisingly, a priority. When it comes to Christenings, one peculiar tradition was that male children had to be baptised first. If not, and a female was the first to receive the Holy Water, the young girl was doomed to grow a beard, while the boys would remain beardless. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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