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Our family is still young, and we're very new to celebrating baptism anniversaries. My husband grew up marking these days in his family, and as a convert to the Catholic faith, I knew right away that I wanted to do the same for our kids. It’s something we’re still figuring out—how to keep it meaningful but also simple and doable in our season of life.
We’re not experts by any means, but this is how we’ve been learning to mark the day with simple, joyful traditions. Just like a birthday celebrates the gift of physical life, baptism is a beautiful celebration of our birth into the family of God. Because of that, we actually lump our baptism day celebration into the birthday budget—it’s part of the same yearly joy!
Here are a few ways we’ve been honoring these special days:
Decorate with a Mini Banner and Flags
We keep things simple and festive with our printable Baptism Day mini banner and flags. They’re easy to hang up near the dining table or in a prayer corner. A little bit of decoration helps mark the day and makes it feel special—especially for little ones!
You can also check out our Baptism of the Lord printable set for more water-themed fun and reflections on the beauty of baptism.
Let the Baptism Honoree Choose Dinner or Dessert
One of the easiest ways to make the day feel like a celebration is to let the person whose baptism we’re celebrating pick a favorite meal or dessert.
If you’re short on ideas, madeleines are a lovely option—the shell shape is a classic baptism symbol. Other water-themed treats or just a simple family favorite also work beautifully.
Renew Baptismal Vows
We plan to take a few quiet minutes to renew our baptismal promises. We light the baptismal candle (or any candle if we don’t have the original) and say the traditional responses together. We do offer a baptismal vow print that you can frame in our baptismal party bundle, but you can find a sufficient version of these prayers and vows here.
For younger kids, we simplify the language so they can follow along, and for older kids or adults, we use the renewal from the Easter Vigil. It’s a meaningful moment of remembering who we are and Whose we are.
Give a Small Religious Gift
We’ve started giving a small religious gift on baptism anniversaries. This could be a statue of their patron saint, a crucifix, a children’s prayer book, or a piece of religious jewelry. We have some suggestions for Catholic children’s books in our Amazon storefront.
It’s not about the size or cost—it’s a little reminder of the life of grace that began that day and a way to help them grow in their love for the Lord.
Play in Water (If It's a Warm Season!)
Baptism is all about water, so if the weather cooperates, we make it playful! Some simple ideas include: Splash pad visit, water balloon fight, backyard sprinklers or kiddie pool, trip to the pool or beach.
These fun moments are especially great for little kids, and they help connect the physical signs of baptism with joyful memories.
Invite the Godparents
If your child’s godparents are local—or even available for a quick FaceTime—invite them to join in the celebration! It can be as simple as a meal, a prayer, or a small gift from them to their godchild.
Godparents play such an important role in the spiritual life of our children, and inviting them into the day reinforces that relationship. (It’s also a beautiful tradition for godparents to start celebrating their godchildren's baptism anniversaries!)
We’re still figuring things out, but these little traditions have already made baptism days feel joyful, memorable, and deeply meaningful for our family. Whether you keep it simple or go all out, the important part is just remembering the day your child was welcomed into the Church—and letting them know how loved they are by God and their family.
