Q&A Home > B > Bathing Prayer

• I have several questions regarding the "Tesht Prayer" (bathing prayer?). From my understanding, it is a prayer on the seventh/eighth day of the child’s birth and our Church made it to replace some pagan traditions that are common in Egypt and instead used this opportunity to have the priest bless the newborn baby and give thanks to God. Is that something that is required to happen even though those traditions are not as common in the U.S.? Would the blessing of the priest during one of the Church’s normal Liturgical prayers serve the same purpose? Does it have to be seven days after birth or could it be at a convenient time for the priest and the family (e.g., when the mother has sufficiently recovered, or when we are not in a special Church season, such as Passion Week, etc.)?