It is a common belief that godfather and godfather are relatives.

In fact, this is not entirely true.

A child's godparents are godfathers of their parents.

For a family, these people must be very close. Often they invite their relatives to this role: brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc.

Godfathers are given very important role in a child's life. Spiritual, physical development and Orthodox mentoring.

Which does not mean that such responsibility is removed from the natural parents and transferred to the godfather and mother. Nowadays, becoming related in this way is an honorable role for friends or relatives; in fact, godfathers are second parents.

People who are not married to each other can become godparents to a child. Any intimate or love relationship between godfathers is excluded. Love relationships between godparents and godchildren up to the second generation are also prohibited.

This is a very responsible choice and an important decision. During baptism, it is the godmother who holds the person being baptized and makes vows for him. The pectoral cross is given by the godfather; this symbol remains with the godson for life. Godparents become relatives to the family, congratulate each other on all Orthodox holidays and give gifts.

The godfathers’ task is to instill in the child moral values ​​and nurture his spirituality. These are even more than just relatives; fate does not give them the right to choose, unlike godparents to their child. Godparents prepare the child for adulthood and should become more friends than parents.

Establish a spiritual connection with the godson and become his support in life, this is what godparents strive for. For parents, godfathers are family who are often closer than blood relatives. Families provide each other with every possible support.

Godfathers should be close in spirit to the family, with whom they will become related. Considering their responsible mission in the life of a child, these should be adults and mature individuals. Any quarrels between godfathers, between godfathers and godchildren are prohibited, all conflict situations are resolved amicably.

Meanings of the word in Russia and Ukraine

There is no difference in the meaning of the word for Ukraine and Russia. Still, the concept is more developed in Ukraine, especially in the outback, where traditions are revered. A modern resident of a metropolis learns more about the traditions of his people through cinema, in classical Ukrainian works This concept comes up very often.

But to this day becoming godfather and godmother is considered very honorable. Thus, the child receives not only second parents, but also a guardian angel. It is not customary to show an unbaptized child to strangers. Since ancient times, it was believed that before baptism a child has no protection and is subject to the influence of evil eyes.

Families that become related in this way acquire close relatives. People come to godfathers for advice, help and blessings. Godparents at the wedding sit with the godson's parents. In the event of the loss of parents, godfathers are considered their first successors, who exactly is agreed upon in advance.

In current politics, This word is common in both Russia and Ukraine, but it carries more negativity. Godfathers are assigned to good positions based on family relationships. Positivity is present only for the officials themselves.

And now not everyone can answer who the godfather is, there are more associations with a complete seizure of power. These people also perform sacred rites, but for them they carry a slightly different meaning and guarantee cover at the right time.

Otherwise, there is no difference in the meaning of the words: godfather and godfather for Ukrainians and Russians. In most cases, this means lowering demands and being lenient. This is how modern alliances are created.

The meaning of the word "godfather" in prison jargon

In places of imprisonment godfather call a government representative, who interacts with guards or other prisoners and monitors the internal situation. Godfathers can achieve their goals through legal and illegal means.

In order to obtain the necessary information, godfather can influence guards and determine increased penalties for prisoners. This could be: separate cells with a brutal regime or pitting prisoners against each other.

Often godfathers collaborate with former and current prisoners. For small privileges in serving their sentences, prisoners become his eyes and ears behind bars. There is also physical violence against uncontrolled prisoners. Prisoners who work with godfathers are called informers.

Husband. godfather female, old kmotr and kuepetra, successor, nitsa, godfather and mother; | those who are spiritually related, in general; but his godson’s successors are not godfather and godfather, but only among themselves, and in relation to his parents and relatives. | Kuma, tul... ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

- (godmother) godparents of one godson (goddaughter) in relation to each other, as well as in relation to the parents of the godson (goddaughter), as well as in some cases, a bosom friend or girlfriend (godmother). For example: Nikita Kupriyanov is godson of... ... Wikipedia

To the King [sovereign uncle]. People's About an independent, prosperous, happy person. F 1, 272; SNFP, 87; SPP 2001, 48. Godfather to the king, sovereign uncle. Sib. Same. FSS, 100. Godfather to the king, matchmaker to the minister. Volg. Joking. Same. Glukhov 1988 ... Large dictionary of Russian sayings

KUM- metal male urethral catheter curved KUM computerized training module comp. AFB acid-fast mycobacteria honey. KUM regional department store... Dictionary of abbreviations and abbreviations

Encyclopedic Dictionary

KUM, a, pl. godmother, yev, husband. Godfather in relation to the parents of the godson and to the godmother. The godfather of the king is someone who is completely free and contented and does not depend on anyone. I handed over the job, now I am the godfather of the king! | decrease kumanek, nka, husband... ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

A; pl. godmother, viev; m. Godfather in relation to the parents of the godson and his godmother. ◊ Godfather to the king. About someone who does not depend on anyone and is completely satisfied with his position. He is neither my godfather nor my matchmaker (a complete stranger). ◁ Kumanek, nka; m. * * * … Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Turk.) sands, sand massifs; the term kum is usually accompanied by an adjective denoting the color and other characteristics of the sands (kara black, kyzyl red, ak white, tau mountain) ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Kumanek, sand, godfather Dictionary of Russian synonyms. godfather noun, number of synonyms: 6 city (2765) kmtr ... Dictionary of synonyms

Books

• Godfather to the King, Vostokov Stanislav Vladimirovich. Stanislav Vostokov is a children's writer whose books, without a doubt, will become classics of literature about animals. Winner of an honorary diploma from IBBY, as well as other literary awards, including...
• Godfather to the King, Vostokov S.. Stanislav Vostokov is a children's writer whose books, without a doubt, will be included in the classics of literature about animals. Winner of an honorary diploma from IBBY, as well as other literary awards, including…

About some simple things

Today we will try to find for ourselves the answer to the question of who the godfather is, and to understand what responsibilities he has, how he should behave in order to correspond to his position. A modern young man is an educated person who grew up in conditions of unlimited access to any information. But its excess often leads to the fact that young people do not know some of the simple basics of life and traditions of their people. Nowadays, many young people simply do not understand how their family works, and do not know who the godfather is and who the godfather is, and what responsibilities lie on them, although they see them constantly on holidays, as well as at large family feasts.

Who is godfather?

To answer the question of who the godfather is, we must first turn to Christian doctrine, namely the Bible. The Bible says that children are responsible for the sins of their parents. Thus, it turns out that godparents, as well as the child they baptized, are not just a tribute to custom, but a spiritual family before God.

In modern thinking, it is believed that godfather is a kind and fair man who should spoil his godson with various gifts from time to time. Previously, men were carefully and carefully chosen as godfathers, since the person who baptized a child became not only a spiritual mentor, but also actually a guardian of the one he baptized.

Is godfather a spiritual father?

Over the years, the high spiritual connection and deep religious meaning have faded into the background, and now the godfather is a person who, first of all, should help provide for the child financially, help parents care and raise him when they themselves do not have enough time for this, and spend some part of your leisure time with him. Thinking about who the godfather is, we no longer remember those high spiritual values ​​that used to be the basis for this and filled it with sacred, special meaning. All that remains of the ritual is the practical part, which, however, does not interfere with fulfilling one’s “nepotistic” duties for the benefit of the child.

Particular attention should be paid to the other half of the godfamily, namely the godmother. Kuma, as a woman who baptized a child, feels a special connection with him and therefore is called upon to protect him, to warm him with her love just like her own child.

So, godfather and godfather are...

From all of the above, it turns out that in modern conditions, a godfather is a person who must complement the father and take care that the child grows up in normal conditions, and a godfather is a woman who must give a part of her heart to the child, and, if necessary, be ready replace his own mother. It’s not without reason that they say: “Godfather and godfather are one Satan,” - only mutual care for one’s godson can instill in a child those values ​​of the godfather that we could observe in Kievan Rus, or in the circles of the Sicilian mafiosi. In general, the “godfamily” is an old, but still relevant social institution, the age of which only indicates that it has been tested by centuries of practice.

It often happens that when we use a word, we do not think about its meaning. For example, the widespread concept of “godfather” in the minds of many is any close relatives or friends.

This is not entirely true. In order not to get into trouble in a conversation, let's try to figure out who the godfather and godfather are and what are the roles of these people in our lives.

So, who is godfather? The interpretive meaning of the word “godfather” is the following - this is the godfather of the child in relation to mom and dad. Also, this treatment is accepted in the attitude of godparents to each other.

As you can see, godfathers can actually be people who are not related by blood. Except in cases where relatives were chosen as godparents.

To be a godfather, and therefore a godfather, is very honorable. An invitation to such a “position” is a sign of high trust and sympathy for the person. After all, they entrust the godfather with the most precious thing - the (spiritual) life of their child.

This role is even more responsible. In addition to privileges and rights in matters of the upbringing and development of the child, godmothers have a number of responsibilities.

• Churching a child. Of course, parents are not relieved of responsibility for the spiritual education of their child. But to no lesser extent the burden of these worries falls on the shoulders of the godparents.
• Instilling spiritual values. The concepts of family, love, kindness, friendship are not given from birth. These basics need to be taught, and godparents are the people who need to do this.

Teaching a godson the basics of service and religion, as well as preparing him for future family life, are not easy and important tasks. Before teaching vital lessons, make sure you have mastered them sufficiently yourself.

Godfather and godfather are not one Satan?

If we talk about the exact meaning of the words godfather and godfather, then it is worth knowing some rules by which to choose them.

• Spouses cannot be godparents for the same child.
• A man and woman who become godparents for a child should not have an intimate relationship.
• Also, intimate relationships are prohibited by the church between godparents and their wards.
• You can choose relatives as godmothers - brothers, sisters, cousins, etc.

Although godmothers may not be actual relatives of their natural parents, from the moment of baptism they become spiritually close. Responsibility for the spiritual and physical life of the child falls equally on the shoulders of both parents and godparents.

When looking for godfathers, focus primarily not on your interests (with whom I would be pleased to communicate), but on the spiritual qualities of people, their moral health.

Look at how responsibly a person approaches his own spiritual development. A person rushing from one extreme to another will not be able to properly influence a child.

Many people wonder how to behave with newly-minted godfathers. Of course, the relationship will no longer be the same.

They should become closer, because now you are united by such an important mission as raising a little man.

Constant communication, visiting each other, congratulating each other on holidays - set an example for children. The closer you are to your godfathers, the easier it will be for your child to accept them as his second parents.

Finally

A godfather is a person who is even more close than a blood relative. After all, we do not choose our brothers, sisters, uncles and aunts. We build relationships with our family on the terms that were given to us.

With godfathers the matter is different - the right to choose is given to us. Be responsible when acquiring new relatives with whom you will be connected for the rest of your life.

GODFATHER and MOTHER, GODFATHER and KUMA
receivers from the baptismal font. In the Russian folk tradition, godparents played a significant role throughout a person’s life, since the spiritual relationship into which godchildren and their godchildren entered as a result of baptism was considered even stronger than blood. Proverb: “Spiritual kinship is more important than carnal kinship.”
Godparents are responsible before God for the spiritual and moral state of their godchildren. From the moment the sacrament was performed, the godparents became, as it were, intermediaries between the godchildren and the world of saints. Their prayers were considered effective, sometimes they were given even greater power than the prayers of their own mother.
As a result of baptism, both the parents of the person being baptized and his closest relatives entered into a spiritual relationship with godparents (in popular terminology - nepotism). All of them were called godfathers (those being baptized and godparents were not called godfathers among themselves).
Persons related by spiritual kinship could not marry each other. Church legislation after the 17th century. significantly narrowed the circle of persons bound by marriage prohibitions. In the late 19th century. Only marriages between the godson's godson and his godson's mother and his goddaughter's father and goddaughter were officially prohibited. The folk tradition significantly expanded the circle of people who were subject to spiritual kinship and, accordingly, marriage prohibitions. Marriages were prohibited not only between godparents and godchildren, but also between godfathers. The bans also extended to the second generation. Intimate connections between spiritual relatives were considered incest among peasants. “After all, the godfather and godfather stood at the common font before God, vouched for the baby and renounced Satan for him, but instead they themselves go into the clutches of Satan and drag the baby there, a direct matter that the sin is unforgiven, because it defiles an innocent baby” ( Yaroslavl province).
Nepotism as a system of relationships included certain norms of behavior. According to reviews coming from different places, among people connected by spiritual kinship, “great restraint and respect are noticeable.” Mutual assistance was considered obligatory. There should have been no quarrels between the committing families; they were seen as a great sin. Children were raised in the spirit of special respect for their godparents. According to the deep conviction of the Russian people, “it is an unforgivable sin to offend your godparents. God will not give you happiness.”
According to custom, godfathers visited each other on major holidays, especially Easter. On this day, godparents always presented their godchildren with painted eggs, and the godchildren's parents, in turn, brought gifts to their godchildren. Godparents were indispensable participants in all holidays in the house of their godchildren. In addition, it was customary to treat godfather and godfather whenever they came.
A special role was assigned to godparents at the wedding of godchildren. They were consulted before marriage. They blessed the bride and groom following their parents and played the role of the father and mother who were planted. If parents were absent, godparents took their place. When an orphan bride went to the cemetery to ask for blessings from her deceased parents, she was accompanied by her godfather. Often they performed the honorary functions of matchmaker and thousand in the wedding ceremony. Godparents, like parents, gave blessings when going to military service or on long trips.
According to the established Russian tradition, the godmother brought a piece of white cloth to baptism, which was placed on it after the font - “risks”, or “reception”. The godfather paid for the sacrament and gave a pectoral cross - a symbol of faith and protection from evil spirits. Constantly wearing a cross was mandatory and natural for Russian people. Its absence forced us to believe that the sacrament of baptism was not performed on this person, that is, he does not belong to the Orthodox faith.
T. A. Listova

Source: Encyclopedia "Russian Civilization"

See what “GODFATHER and MOTHER, KUM and KUMA” are in other dictionaries:

godfather- a, plural godfather/, ev, m. Godfather in relation to the parents of the godson and godmother; the child's father in relation to the godfather and mother. Related words: kuma/, nepotism/, nepotism/y Etymology: Word of common Slavic origin.… … Popular dictionary of the Russian language

godfather- a, m.; KUMA/, s, w. 1. Godfather and mother in relation to the godson’s parents and among themselves. I decided to wander into the sexton’s house and see my godfather. // Pushkin. The captain's daughter // KUMUSHKA. Hey! Small! Why don’t they bring the gossip here... ... Dictionary of forgotten and difficult words from works of Russian literature of the 18th-19th centuries

Name day- (Old Russian - name day) - the day of baptism and naming of a newborn, on the eighth day after birth. The newborn is given the name of a saint, whom the Holy Church celebrates on this day of the child's baptism. Although there was a practice of free naming... ... Fundamentals of spiritual culture (teacher's encyclopedic dictionary)

SPIRITUAL KINSHIP- connects the recipients at baptism with their godchildren, parents of godchildren, and also in accordance with Byzantium. the right of children and more distant descendants of godchildren and godchildren, godchildren and goddaughters of one godchildren and their descendants between... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia

Kumanev, Kumankov, Kumushkin, Kumokhin, Kumoshin, Kumanetsky. At first glance, related surnames. However, they have different meanings. The first three have the semantic word godfather, godfather, i.e. godfather and mother, kindred spirits. Kumanetsky - from the name... ...Russian surnames

Perceivers- (godparents) in Christ. church In everyday life, people participating in the sacrament of baptism as guarantors of Christ. education and upbringing of those being baptized. When infants are baptized, they say obliga instead. confession of faith and make vows, taking before... Russian humanitarian encyclopedic dictionary