baptism

Immersion in or sprinkling with water as a religious rite of initiation. It was practised long before the beginning of Christianity. In Christian infant baptism, the ceremony welcomes the child into the church community. Sponsors or godparents make vows on behalf of the child, which are renewed by the child at confirmation; some denominations only practise baptism of believers, performed in adulthood when its significance may be understood. Baptism is one of the seven sacraments. The Amrit Sanskar ceremony in Sikhism is sometimes referred to as baptism.