Pop Culture dictionary

godparent proposal

[god-pair-uh nt pruh-poh-zuhl]

What does godparent proposal mean?

A godparent proposal is when new parents ask someone to be the godfather or godmother of their child, often as part of a stylized ritual.

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Where does godparent proposal come from?

ButterflyGhost / Etsy

Proposals aren’t just for business offers and marriage plans. In the 21st century, they also became popular for godparents.

Godparents are a part of a Christian tradition where trusted adults agree to look after a child in some manner. Traditionally, this meant ensuring their religious education. In contemporary culture, being a godparent more generally involves acting as a mentor to a child. And should, God forbid, anything happen to the parents, a godparent might be expected to step in and care for their godchild.

All this is to say that being a godparent is a meaningful responsibility. By at least 2014, some new parents began to formalize the process of asking someone to be a godparent with a godparent proposal. In the Pinterest age, it’s not enough to just ask someone—godparent proposals are stylized rituals complete with things like customized onesies, poems, and even puzzle cards.

Examples of godparent proposal

Our godparent proposal went better than expected!! I'm super happy☺️
@OhGeezNancy, March 2016
But Pinterest isn’t just about stuff to buy, bake or imitate — it has also become a source for new ideas that reflect shifting values. Trending now? Side hustles (where folks take on extra jobs, often based on their interests) (up 690%), backyard weddings (up 441%) and the intriguing rise of the godparent proposal, up 152%, with invites almost as elaborate as gender-reveal parties.
Sarah Mahoney, MediaPost, December 2018
So glad my sister and her husband liked their godparent proposal mugs. My son has the best godparents, I‘m sure he’ll love them 😭
October 2018
ButterflyGhost / Etsy
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Who uses godparent proposal?

While godparents have been around for centuries, godparent proposals are a relatively new ritual.

As godparents are part of Christian tradition, godparent proposals are often seen within Christian families and communities.

Sometimes people will film godparent proposals as a keepsake or to share on social media.

Godparent proposals can involve flowers, glassware, or other small gifts, tokens of appreciation for the taking on the role.

 

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Note

This is not meant to be a formal definition of godparent proposal like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of godparent proposal that will help our users expand their word mastery.