Baptism can be called the first church sacrament of a believer, because it is a symbol of renunciation of sinful life and entry into the community of salvation - that is, the Church.
In baptism, a person immerses himself in water three times, while performing a prayer in the name of the Holy Trinity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, after which, coming out of the font, is born for eternal life. If a person is already an adult, he dives in the font himself, and if a baby is baptized, the priest dips him into the water and himself reads the prayer of the Holy Trinity for him.
After this dive, the priest puts a cross on the person, as a visible symbol of the faith that the person showed by baptism - a belief in the Holy Trinity and Jesus Christ as the Son of God. From this moment the cross becomes the personal shrine of the believer and it is good when the believer keeps this cross for life.
According to the traditions that have developed with us, the cross should be presented by the godfather, and the godmother gives the baby to the baby.
Usually crosses are made of silver or gold. From the material from which the cross is made, nothing depends on the believer, and the choice of the material itself depends only on the preferences of the believer himself or on the choice of his godparents.
From a practical point of view, if you are going to buy a cross for the baptism of a small child, you should pay attention to the fact that it does not have sharp corners, which can cause discomfort to the baby. If a person receives baptism at the age of majority, then he will not necessarily have a baptismal receptive and, accordingly, a cross, he buys himself.
It is important to remember that a cross is not an amulet or a simple jewelry adornment, which we dress to emphasize our bow.
You also need to remember that you have to consecrate the cross. You can do this in any church, turning either directly to the priest, or by asking someone at the candle box. In extreme cases, the priest can sanctify him immediately before baptism.
But the main thing is that it is more important for a believer to conduct a pious life, according to the rule of that Faith and that Church, of which he became a part of baptism. And to teach him life in the church is the task of the godparents, which they state when they stand with the baby in the hands of the font.
