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You are here: Home / House & Home / Fashion / Celtic Christening Gowns As Family Heirlooms

Celtic Christening Gowns As Family Heirlooms

August 18, 2019 by Irish American Mom 12 Comments

Christening gowns are part of our Irish cultural heritage. For centuries these gowns have been a meaningful way for Irish families to express their faith and family traditions. They’re symbolic works of art.

Christening dresses are often called baptismal gowns. In the past, Irish babies of both genders wore a gown when being baptized.

Christening gowns made from silk and embroidered with Celtic designs from Ireland

Today, I’m delighted to introduce you to a unique range of Irish Christening Gowns. These lovely dresses are created with love and care in County Galway, Ireland.

These magnificent designs are influenced by the gloriously rich and colorful history of Ireland’s ancient Celtic past.

But first let’s explore the importance of christening gowns in Irish history and culture.

 

Christening Gowns In Irish Culture:

 

In Ireland a baby’s christening represents a new cycle of life, and recognizes the purity and joy of new life.

Christening gowns are a representation of the major rite of passage that baptism is, in a child’s life. It is when a child celebrates becoming part of a family’s Catholic or Christian faith.

Infant baptism or christening began in the early centuries of Christianity, sometime between the second and third century AD. Saint Patrick arrived in Ireland in the 5th century and greatly contributed to the conversion of the Irish people to Christianity. Our Celtic ancestors embraced the tradition of religious baptism.

Irish Christening clothes are traditionally white, symbolizing innocence, purity and oneness with God.

Irish christening gown with an embroidered Celtic emblem for County Cork
County Cork Celtic Design

In the Catholic tradition, girls wear three white dresses to mark three major sacraments in the Church. These three rites of passage are her christening or baptism, her communion, and her wedding.

One old Irish tradition involves using fabric or lace from a bridal veil or gown to make a family christening robe. This old Irish custom is fading these days, but it was a beautiful and culturally significant tradition.

The shared fabric, of the wedding and christening gowns, represents the ties that bind families together. The threads of these interconnected and precious garments symbolize unity between the generations.

Some Irish families then use a small piece of the christening garment when creating a wedding gown for the child.

Other families choose to pass the christening gown down through the generations. This is my Irish family tradition.

 

Christening Gowns As Family Heirlooms:

 

Preserving a baptismal gown for your future grandchild’s christening is a beautiful family tradition and part of Irish cultural heritage.

Today, many Irish women choose to conserve their wedding dresses, rather than cutting them up to make christening gowns. In turn, they choose to invest in a family heirloom christening gown that can be safeguarded for generations to come.

Irish families treasure these christening heirlooms as important pieces of their family history.

A treasured christening gown intimately ties the generations of a family together. In large Irish families, the oldest girl usually inherits the family christening gown.

A silk white christening gown from Ireland with a Celtic embroidered emblem.
County Dublin Celtic symbol on an Irish silk christening gown.

Preserving these precious gowns helps us appreciate our rich family heritage. A family heirloom christening outfit connects us to our past and highlights the threads binding us together.

Irish christening gowns stand out as truly unique heirlooms.

 

Celtic Christening Gown Designs:

 

The Celtic Collection by Helen Marie offers a beautiful selection of christening dresses.

They’re designed for Irish parents and families, and those of Irish descent, both in Ireland and around the world. Customers of this Irish owned business value their Irish heritage and share in its rich cultural history and identity.

Created from the finest Dupion silk, each of these christening gowns is embroidered with an intricate Celtic design. These handmade christening gowns are rich in Celtic history.

Silk christening gown from Ireland with a Celtic embroidery design for County Dublin

Celtic symbols are part of our Irish identity and heritage, including our Christian past. When the Irish accepted Christianity they intertwined their old spiritual beliefs with their new found belief in one true God. Ancient Christian monasteries and High Crosses in Ireland are elaborately decorated with spiraling and interwoven Celtic knots and designs.

Each sophisticated Celtic pattern, chosen for these garments, represents one of each of the counties on the beautiful island of Ireland. Every magnificent design has its own unique story to tell.

Celtic Crosses feature on many of these beautiful dresses. These symbols are powerful representations of the faith, hope, ideals and aspirations of the Irish people.

Intricate spirals in Celtic symbolism represent the balance between inner and outer consciousness. This ties in with our Christian belief that we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit at Baptism. His gifts enlighten our inner consciousness throughout life.

These beautifully crafted gowns come with matching bonnets. These sets honor you child’s unique Celtic or Irish heritage in every stitch.

Celtic designs for counties of Ireland featured on silk christening gowns

These Celtic Collection Christening Gowns and Bonnets are handled with love and attention to detail. Each set is packaged in a gift presentation box, together with its own hanger.

Enclosed with each and every family heirloom garment, is a scroll. This precious keepsake details the origin, history and story of the Celtic design embroidered on the christening gown.

In modern day Ireland, wearing a christening gown is definitely not a requirement. However, my nostalgic, traditional side cannot help but appreciate their incredible cultural significance.

The symbolism of a Celtic design makes a baptismal gown even more meaningful. This cultural significance is further highlighted, when the Celtic design represents a family’s county of origin.

Introducing Irish Craftswoman, Helen Marie:

 

Helen Marie Moore is a Galway woman and crafts person extraordinaire. She’s the director and designer at Helen Marie Handmade Creations, located in the west of Ireland.

She wishes to share our Celtic and Irish story through her designs. Her intricately crafted christening outfits are for all families, who value their Irish heritage and share its cultural history and identity.

The Celtic symbols beautifully embroidered onto each girl’s christening gown by Helen, is a link to our shared cultural inheritance.

You can check out all of Helen Marie’s creative christening designs on her website. If your family hails from a particular county in Ireland, why not check out the Celtic symbol representing your county of origin.

A big thank you to Helen for introducing her exceptional work today. I truly appreciate how her work helps promote and sustain our Irish cultural legacy.

 

Slán agus beannacht,

Goodbye and blessings,

 

Irish American Mom.

 

If you’re a Pinterest fan, here’s a Pinterest friendly image. Feel free to file these beautiful christening clothes on one of your boards.

Handcrafted silk Irish christening gowns with embroidered Celtic emblem

Note: Irish American Mom does not have a business relationship with Helen Marie Handmade Creations. Helen is looking to grow her home based business and reach new customers around the world. I thought this little Irish American community might be interested in her creations. Wishing Helen every success in the world.

Explore your Irish heritage further with Irish American Mom here.

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Filed Under: Fashion, Symbols of Ireland Tagged With: Baptism, Celtic Design, Christening Gowns, Handmade with Love, Irish Children's Clothing, Irish Fashion

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Comments

  1. Grace says

    August 18, 2019 at 4:13 pm

    These gowns are amazing- I’ll bookmark this page for future use.

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      August 18, 2019 at 4:56 pm

      Hi Grace – I think these dresses are gorgeous too. The embroidery Celtic designs are lovely.
      Take care,
      Mairéad

      Reply
  2. Mary says

    August 18, 2019 at 5:14 pm

    They are very beautiful, then you add the cultural significance and they become remarkable! Thanks for sharing, I’ll be checking out her site. Blessings, Mary

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      August 18, 2019 at 9:09 pm

      Hi Mary – These gowns are truly lovely and a link to our old Irish traditions and ways. It’s lovely to see talented crafts people, like Helen, keeping these customs alive.
      All the best,
      Mairéad

      Reply
  3. Jeff says

    August 18, 2019 at 5:27 pm

    Mairéad,

    How beautiful! Thank you for showcasing and helping out Irish entrepreneurs!

    Jeff

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      August 18, 2019 at 9:10 pm

      Hi Jeff – I always like to help spread the word about small businesses in Ireland that promote Irish culture and heritage. These christening gowns fit that bill perfectly. Thanks for checking them out.
      All the best,
      Mairéad

      Reply
  4. Joan says

    August 19, 2019 at 1:24 pm

    Beautiful work . The Christening gowns are lovely. What a wonderful tradition. Wishing Helen Marie success and longevity in her business.
    Marilyn,Joan and Marion

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      August 19, 2019 at 2:39 pm

      Many thanks ladies. These christening gowns are a lovely contribution to Irish traditional cultural traditions.
      All the best,
      Mairéad

      Reply
  5. Erin Friedman says

    August 19, 2019 at 2:06 pm

    These are lovely! I and my siblings were all baptized in The Family Christening Gown — lots of lovely pictures and memories. How wonderful that the tradition lives on.

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      August 19, 2019 at 2:40 pm

      Hi Erin – I love to see old traditions living on also. Nice to hear that your family also continued this tradition.
      All the best,
      Mairéad

      Reply
  6. Lynn says

    August 20, 2019 at 9:42 pm

    Lovely gowns and bonnets! I’m glad this is still important to many families, and they are continuing these traditions to honor God and their love and loyalty to Him.

    Thank you for supporting this small business. I hope a lot of new orders come her way, and she receives some photos from the ceremonies so she can see how people enjoy them.

    Reply
    • Irish American Mom says

      August 20, 2019 at 9:56 pm

      Hi Lynn – Thanks for checking out these lovely baptismal gowns and your kind words for Helen. It would be wonderful if she receives photos of babies wearing her beautiful creations on their christening days. What a lovely idea.
      All the best,
      Mairéad

      Reply

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