An ancient tradition that has survived to our time is a silver spoon for the first tooth. Everyone has heard about it, but few have thought about the essence of the tradition. Nowadays, parents prefer to buy rational gifts for their children that will be useful in the future. Therefore, such a gift as a silver spoon for a tooth is considered an outdated tradition and simply a whim. The tradition, of course, is outdated, but they still give a silver spoon to a baby. It is with a spoon that parents check the teeth that have erupted to make sure of the cause of the night torment. The child is then fed porridge or fruit purees. It is worth noting that a silver spoon given as a gift for the first tooth will bring health and a rich life. It is also believed that cutlery should be given as a gift for baptism. A baptismal spoon is a universal and original gift that will be useful to a child in later life. You can make a silver spoon with a personalized engraving.
Why and why do they give a silver spoon for the first tooth?
There is an opinion that this tradition first originated in England, and then migrated to Russia. It is believed that a silver gift attracts favor from fate. Moreover, there are definitely reasons to believe in this.
If, when teething, you lightly tap on it with a silver device and wish the baby to grow up healthy and prosperous, it is believed that this will definitely come true, and the spoon itself will become a real talisman for the baby. In addition, such a valuable gift will remain as a memory for many years. After all, money is spent, clothes will outgrow, toys will become a thing of the past, but such a gift will last for many years.
Gift rules
Today, not everyone remembers the essence of the tradition, so the rules for its offering have been violated. Initially, several conditions had to be met, one of which was the obligatory light tapping of the baby’s tooth with a spoon. At the same time, it was necessary to wish that all other teeth were as even and strong as the first one that appeared. Tradition claims that all good wishes expressed when giving a silver spoon will definitely come true.
When to give
Today, many people save a silver spoon for a baby at the time of baptism or for the first anniversary of birth. However, initially the date of its appearance coincided precisely with the appearance of the first tooth and was not associated with any other, even very significant events in his life.
Who should give
Not everyone knows who gives the silver spoon. Signs require that it be received from the one who first notices the appearance of a tooth. It is rare when it turns out to be a stranger or even one of the relatives. As a rule, this is mother or father. But in fact, the silver spoon for children today is presented by grandparents, close relatives, and godparents. It is the latter, according to belief, that fill the gift with spiritual power.
Which spoon is better to choose
If you decide to give your baby a silver spoon, it makes sense to match it with the meaning of the event, as well as the gender of the child. When a gift is presented for baptism, it is better to choose a silver Kubachi “Angel” spoon that matches the theme of what is happening. Graceful, decorated with ornaments and a figurine of an angel, it is perfect as the best souvenir that brings good luck to a godson or goddaughter.
What to give to a girl and a boy
You can easily choose a silver spoon as a gift for your baby in the Kavkaz-souvenir online store. The site presents children's silver spoons for the first tooth, decorated with various figures: a flower, a nesting doll, a stork, a kitten, a squirrel, a fish, a bear cub and other funny little animals.
For a boy, spoons with images of a king, a train, a boat, a bear, a hedgehog, Tom the cat, cartoon and fairy-tale characters are more suitable.
All products are made of the highest standard silver and are stamped by the State Assay Chamber of the Russian Federation, which confirms the high quality of the metal used and workmanship. They were made with love and care for children by the best Kubachi craftsmen.
The parameters of the spoon correspond to the age and physiological characteristics of the baby, who will first take food with the help of mom or dad, and later will learn to eat independently: its size is optimal, weight - from 11.5 g to 13.5 g. Such a table tool will be convenient and not heavy, it is easy for the baby to hold it in his hands.
All children's silver spoons presented in the catalog of Ali Askerov's online store have exceptional polishing and fully comply with quality and safety requirements.
Believe signs or check
Although this is the 21st century, people have not forgotten their traditions and have largely changed them in accordance with the modern way of life. Signs regarding the appearance of the first tooth still exist, although not everyone knows them. Believing in them or not is everyone’s business, but our ancestors believed that:
- the early appearance of teeth was supposed to set the family up for the imminent birth of the next child;
- if teeth are cut late, it means that a child endowed with extraordinary talents will grow up in the family;
- a capricious character in the future predicted a long and painful appearance of teeth.
How much does a silver spoon cost, price
Knowing about the healing properties of this metal, it has become popular to give newborns a spoon made of silver. In Tsarist Russia, from the first days of life, children were given a silver present, which accompanied them throughout their entire journey of growing up. Usually it was a coffee spoon so that the child could easily put it in his mouth.
On the first day of school, the gift was already larger - a dessert spoon, and at the end, for graduation - a dining room. Children who received a gift from this noble metal were successful in all their endeavors. Prices for such cutlery vary.
What does the cost depend on:
- from metal sample;
- on the size of the device;
- from exclusive execution (engraving, insertion of precious stones, decoration);
- from the price category on the silver exchange.
The higher the standard, the higher the price, because there is more metal in the alloy. The best option for a tableware is 875 standard. Compared, for example, with 830 sample, alloy 875 oxidizes less in air, that is, the metal darkens less.
Silver spoons can be decorated as desired. You can buy a simple one, then engrave it or order your own design. Also, when doing handmade work, silver is often combined with gold or bright enamel.
In terms of price category, tableware ranges from 1800 rubles and above. All this depends on what and how the product is made.
Why give a spoon to a newborn?
Silver products are not only famous for their beauty, but they are also useful. Scientific facts claim that silver ions can destroy approximately 500 types of microorganisms that can cause intestinal and other diseases. Silver has good disinfecting properties, and it is also able to quickly remove and neutralize toxic substances from the body.
Silver water, charged with noble metal ions, was previously widely used in folk medicine. Therefore, the question of why to give silver spoons has a medical explanation. It was used to treat colds, to boost immunity and improve metabolism.
It is customary to give a silver spoon for the first tooth, since in the future the spoon can be used to give the first complementary foods. It not only ionizes food, but also kills bacteria in the oral cavity. Therefore, the baby has a kind of protection.
Who buys a silver personalized spoon for the first tooth?
The pleasant and useful tradition of a personalized gift allows you to bring a lot of benefits to your baby. Relatives and friends can give gifts. More often it is a godfather or godmother. Often grandparents prepare a gift for their beloved grandson or granddaughter in advance.
If previously it was believed that those who baptized should give gifts, today this is permissible for any relative. The main thing is to choose the right gift. For example, for a girl they buy a device with openwork weaving, butterflies, and bows. For boys, you can choose ones with images of stars and bears.
Advice
When darkening, a silver spoon can be easily cleaned with chalk or soda!
How to choose?
You can buy a silver spoon for your baby’s first tooth in a church shop or in a jewelry store. The range of such products is quite large, so many parents, godparents and relatives have difficulty purchasing. When choosing a product, you need to consider what it will be used for.
If you plan to use it in the future for the first complementary feeding, then you should choose a coffee spoon no more than 13 cm in length.
The tea cutlery is suitable for the time when the baby grows up and can eat on his own. Such a product must have a length of up to 16 cm. If you plan to use a silver spoon for its intended purpose (for eating food), then you need to ask for a quality certificate for the product.
It is important to make sure that the device is suitable for feeding. You also need to pay attention to the coating material of the product. It happens that the device is treated with a composition that is harmful to children and adults. It is not recommended to buy a spoon coated with varnish, gold or rhodium. The varnish is harmful, it is more suitable for souvenirs and rare items.
Gold reduces the beneficial qualities of silver. Rhodium blocks the metal's ability to destroy pathogenic bacteria. It is necessary to choose the correct shape of the spoon handle. It should be comfortable for the baby to hold the product. A handle that is too wide and curly is not suitable. It is better to choose a rectangular shape.
Silver spoon with angel and date of birth
If a silver spoon will be used as a talisman or a family heirloom, then you should pay attention to its appearance. It is better to choose products with decor. You can order the name and date of birth of the baby, wishes of happiness and health, to be engraved on the cutlery.
You should choose a product from trusted manufacturers. The high quality of the product is confirmed by the 999 sample and documented. Baby spoons should not have sharp edges or strongly protruding decorative elements. It is important that the surface is well polished.
When choosing a gift, it is necessary to take into account the gender of the baby. For example, boys should buy cutlery with an image of an angel, stars or a bear. If you plan to present the product for a christening, it is better to put a drawing of a chapel or saints on it.
Spoons for girls are usually decorated with hearts, butterflies, and flowers. If this is a church attribute, then it may contain a cross, an image of the Virgin Mary.
The designs are applied with enamel and decorated with small stones (artificial or precious). The cost of silver spoons in jewelry stores and church shops varies between 3170-9220 rubles. The price depends on the size and decor of the product.
Who gives a silver spoon for a boy's first tooth?
There is an opinion that the first person to give cutlery is the one who notices the teething of a tooth. Often this is a grandmother or grandfather. Many parents prefer to choose a present for their baby themselves. Previously, godparents were at the origins of such a gift. That is, it was the godfather who chose the spoon for the boy.
Today, many parents prefer to hear the child’s opinion when he grows up, because not everyone wants to be baptized. Of course, this all depends on the individual. After all, the rite of baptism is a serious step. Therefore, they wait for the child to grow up and make a choice on his own.
Folk signs
Presents in the form of a silver spoon were highly valued by the ancient Slavs. They gave such a device to adults and children. Noble people used silver spoons for table setting. Commoners saw magical powers in such objects, so they used them as a talisman.
It was customary to pass a silver spoon down from generation to generation. It was believed that this allowed one to gain health, strength and support of one’s family. Godparents gave such a thing to their godchildren on a Christian holiday.
Newborns received a silver spoon as a small souvenir. The custom of giving such cutlery is not only Slavic. In England, a noble person holding a high position is said to be born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
Residents of this country present children with such a thing upon entering school, gymnasium or university, as well as upon graduation from educational institutions. Silver cutlery is considered by the British to be a symbol of entry into adulthood. In Siberia, a spoon is given as a gift before teething in order to make this process faster and easier.
Who should give a silver spoon for a girl's first tooth?
It has long been believed that the godmother selects a gift for a girl. She chooses a silver device with Orthodox symbols and gives it as a christening gift. Today the tradition has changed a little and it is permissible to give such a gift to any relative.
The main thing is that the gift is safe for the baby. The characteristics of the device should not raise any doubts, so you can ask what type of metal it is and what the silver spoon’s scoop is coated with. After all, manufacturers often use special coatings on such items so that tarnishing is less noticeable.
