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Glite Dictionary
👶 Blessing after birth 👶 To bless after birth ⛪ Going to church
churching

churching

1 9.9
A ceremony where a church leader blesses a woman after childbirth to give thanks for her recovery
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : bendición
  • Her family gathered to celebrate her churching after the safe arrival of her baby.

Examples

  • After giving birth, she attended the churching ceremony at her local church.

  • The tradition of churching is still observed in some Christian communities today.

  • The churching ceremony was held last Sunday.

  • After her baby was born, she attended the churching service.

  • After giving birth, she attended the churching ceremony to give thanks for her recovery.

  • The churching ceremony was a beautiful way for the community to welcome the new mother.

  • During the churching, family and friends gathered to celebrate the mother's return to the church.

Surface Forms

churching singular
churchings plural

Morphology

churching = church (opaque) = church + ing

Although morphologically 'church' + '-ing', the specialized meaning 'a postpartum blessing ceremony' is a ritualized sense that is not derivable by a typical learner from the base alone.

Etymology

Churching comes from church (from an old word meaning 'the Lord's house') and the ending -ing, which makes it an action. It originally meant bringing a new mother into the church for a blessing after childbirth, so churching is that ceremony of thanks and recovery.