A santorini christening is a full Greek Orthodox baptism held on the island, usually in a small white chapel on the caldera rim or in a village church. The ceremony runs about an hour; the paperwork takes weeks.
Christening in Santorini
Santorini is one of the most preferred summer destinations. It is one of the 30 most beautiful islands in the world and it is the great location to organize the ideal wedding for people from all over the world.
In Santorini you are going to find a lot Orthodox churches and Catholic basilicas. The most beautiful between them is the church which is located in Oia due to the astonishing sunset of Oia village. That church is among the 14 most beautiful churches in all over the world.
Who says that Santorini is the ideal island for weddings and only? A baptism in Santorini would be evenly special!
Santorini Tours is the perfect way to amuse your guests and live an extremely new experience!
Baptism reception in Santorini
The ideal reception for your kinds baptism is very subjective and depends on what the couple wants to have. Although there are no people who would say no to a magical island such as Santorini. It is the right place to set any baptism concept you like.
The sky, the sea, the endless view to the Aegean sea and the volcano will make a special and unforgettable experience for you and your guests. Everyone will talk about it for sure!
Hotels in Santorini
If you have already taken your decision, one of your first moves will be to find the perfect rooms in the hotels in Santorini. Margarenia hotel is located in Perissa village which is only a few minutes away of the Black Sand Beach, one of the most famous beaches in Santorini.
It is the ideal accommodation choice for families!
Activities and tours in Santorini for you guests
The Christening ceremony in Santorini can be combined with vacations. There is a great number of things to see and things to do in this Greek island.
You can book now some special private guided tours in Santorini for you and your guests and you are going to have very special moments. Bellow there is a list with our suggestions:
- Santorini full day private tour
- Santorini impressive Caldera private tour
- Santorini sunset and wine testing tour
- Santorini exclusive shore private tour
Private transfers for your guests in Santorini
You can also offer Santorini private transfers to your guest with luxury mini buses.
See more about Santorini island:
- organize the perfect wedding in Santorini
- Traditional Greek Easter in Santorini
- Wine tourism in Santorini
- Family vacation ideas: Santorini is the ideal destination for kids
Santorini Christening: What It Involves
A santorini christening is a full Greek Orthodox baptism held on the island, usually in a small white chapel on the caldera rim or in one of the inland villages, followed by a party that is as large as a wedding.
The ceremony runs about forty-five minutes to an hour. The child is anointed with oil, fully immersed three times, dressed in new white clothes provided by the godparent, and given their name for the first time. Guests are handed martyrika – small cross pins – and boubounieres of sugared almonds on the way out.
Santorini christening paperwork for foreign families goes through the local parish and the Metropolis, and it takes weeks rather than days. The godparent must be a baptised Orthodox Christian, and that is the one requirement with no flexibility in it.
Below: how to choose the church, what the paperwork actually is, when to hold it, what it costs, and the part we handle – moving thirty or forty guests around an island with about thirty taxis.
Where Can You Hold a Santorini Christening?
The caldera chapels
The classic santorini christening setting. Small white churches on the rim at Imerovigli, Firostefani and Oia, with the crater behind. The photographs are the reason most families choose the island. They are small – often twenty or thirty people inside – and many are reached down stepped lanes with no vehicle access. Imerovigli.
The village churches
Pyrgos, Megalochori, Emporio and Vothonas all have larger parish churches with bell towers, courtyards and room for a proper congregation. Level ground, somewhere for the vehicles, and a fraction of the caldera premium. This is where we would hold a santorini christening with more than thirty guests. Pyrgos · Megalochori.
Private and family chapels
There are said to be several hundred chapels on the island, and a santorini christening can sometimes be held in one of them. many built by families. Some can be used by arrangement with the owner and the parish.
The reception
A winery terrace, a village taverna courtyard or a hotel on the rim. Wineries work particularly well: room for a long table, shade, and somewhere for children to run. Wine tour.
What to check before you commit
Capacity. Ask how many the chapel actually holds standing.
Vehicle access. How close can a minibus stop, and how many steps after that.
Shade. A courtyard with no shade in July is a real problem with a baby.
The priest. The parish priest performs it, and his diary is the constraint.
What Paperwork Do You Need?
Santorini christening requirements vary between parishes, so treat this as the shape of it rather than a checklist, and start early.
The child’s birth certificate, officially translated and usually apostilled.
The parents’ identification, and in most cases their marriage certificate.
The godparent’s baptism certificate. The one santorini christening requirement with no flexibility in it. The godparent must be a baptised Orthodox Christian, cannot be a parent, and this is the requirement families most often discover late.
Permission from the Metropolis of Thira, arranged through the parish.
A letter from your own parish if you are Orthodox abroad.
The chosen name, which is given at the ceremony rather than before it.
Timing. Allow several weeks, and longer if translations and apostilles have to travel. A santorini christening booked six weeks out is tight; six months is comfortable.
Who handles it. Almost every foreign family holding a santorini christening uses a local planner, and it is money well spent – the documents are submitted in Greek and the parish office does not chase you.
When Should You Hold It?
May and early June. The best santorini christening window. Warm, everything open, few crowds and chapels available.
September and early October. The other good santorini christening window, The other good window, with softer light for the photographs.
July and August. Hot, crowded and expensive, with the meltemi at its strongest. If it has to be summer, hold the ceremony at six in the evening rather than at noon.
April. Lovely, but check against Holy Week – baptisms are not held during Lent in most parishes.
Winter. A quiet and cheap santorini christening, with fewer flights and most caldera venues closed. It happens, mostly for Greek families. Santorini in winter.
Avoid. Great Lent, and the days around 15 August when every church and every taverna is busy with the feast.
How Do Guests Get Around?
This is the part we handle, and it is the part that most often goes wrong at a santorini christening.
The island has around thirty licensed taxis. Buses stop early and every route changes in Fira. Many of the prettiest chapels have no vehicle access at all, so guests walk the last stretch down stepped lanes – which matters with elderly relatives, small children and a family in formal clothes in thirty degrees.
Airport and port arrivals. Guests land across two or three days. We meet each one by name and track the flight or the ferry. Transfers.
The santorini christening run. Hotels to the chapel and back, timed to the service, in minibuses rather than cars so the party arrives together.
The reception. Chapel to winery or taverna, and home again late.
The day after. Most families want one relaxed day together – the villages, a winery or a beach, everybody in one vehicle. Personalised tour.
Prices are per vehicle rather than per person, so a minibus carrying twenty guests costs less than the taxis they would not have found. Our vehicles.
What Does It Cost?
Santorini christening costs in ranges rather than quotes, because they move with the season and the guest list.
The church. A donation to the parish plus the priest’s fee. The smallest line on the day.
The planner. A flat fee or a percentage, and it buys you the paperwork and the local suppliers.
The reception. The largest santorini christening line by a distance, and a caldera-rim venue is roughly double a winery or a village taverna.
Photography. The second largest santorini christening line, and the one families regret economising on.
Decoration and flowers. Whatever you decide; the chapels need very little.
Clothes and the ladiko set. Traditionally the godparent’s responsibility.
Martyrika and boubounieres. Small per guest, and made locally.
Guest transport. Per vehicle. A minibus for twenty is the cheapest sensible line on the whole budget.
The honest summary. A santorini christening at a village church with a winery reception costs a fraction of the same day on the caldera rim, and photographs just as well.
Santorini Christening: Frequently Asked Questions
Can foreigners hold a santorini christening? Yes. Greek Orthodox baptisms for foreign families are held on the island regularly, through the local parish and the Metropolis of Thira.
How long is a santorini christening ceremony? Around forty-five minutes to an hour, with the child fully immersed three times and named at the end.
Who can be the godparent? A baptised Orthodox Christian who is not a parent. This is the strictest requirement and the one families discover late.
How far ahead should we book a santorini christening? Six months is comfortable, six weeks is tight. Paperwork and translations take longer than people expect.
What paperwork is needed? Typically the child’s birth certificate translated and apostilled, parents’ identification and marriage certificate, the godparent’s baptism certificate, and permission from the Metropolis via the parish.
Which church should we choose? A caldera chapel for the photographs and under thirty guests, or a village church at Pyrgos, Megalochori or Emporio for space, shade and vehicle access.
What is the best month for a santorini christening? May, early June, September or early October. Avoid Great Lent and the middle of August.
What are martyrika and boubounieres? Small cross pins handed to guests as a token of witness, and sugared almonds given as a favour.
Can we combine it with a wedding? Families often do, on consecutive days. Tell the parish and the planner at the outset.
How do santorini christening guests get to the chapel? Booked minibuses. There are around thirty taxis on the island and many chapels have no vehicle access.
Is there anything for the guests to do? Yes – most families add one relaxed day: the villages, a winery or a beach, everyone in one vehicle.
Transport for Your Guests
We do not plan baptisms. We move the people at them, which on this island is a harder problem than it sounds and the one families consistently underestimate.
Tell us the santorini christening church, the date, the service time and where your guests are staying, and we will build the vehicle plan around it: arrivals tracked by flight and ferry, hotels to chapel and back, the reception run, and a tour for whoever wants one the next day.
Prices are per vehicle rather than per person, child seats are available on request, hotel pickup anywhere on the island is included, we guide in twelve languages, and an 80 EUR deposit confirms a date.
See the full list of tours, our Santorini wedding page, or the FAQ.
Every Village and Site on the Island
Any of these can be built into a private day. Each has its own page with what to see and how long to allow.
Caldera villages: Fira · Firostefani · Imerovigli · Oia · Finikia · Baxedes
Inland villages: Pyrgos · Megalochori · Emporio · Mesaria · Karterados · Vothonas · Vourvoulos · Exo Gonia · Mesa Gonia · Pigadia
Beaches: Perissa · Perivolos · Kamari · Vlychada · Monolithos · Red Beach · White Beach · Agios Georgios · Agia Paraskevi
Sites and landmarks: Akrotiri · Ancient Thira · Akrotiri Lighthouse · Nea Kameni · Palia Kameni · Thirasia · Athinios Port
All our tours: All Santorini tours · Full day tour · Sightseeing tour · Personalised tour · North part tour · Horse riding · South part tour · Sunset tour · Shore excursion · Caldera tour · Food experience · Wine tour · Historical tour · Small group tour
Planning and services: Famous sights tour · Private transfers · Transfers to Oia and Finikia · Transfers to other villages · Villages of Santorini · History of Santorini · Tours near you · Languages we guide in · Food and fun tours · Gay friendly tours · Our tour buses · Daily tours · Day tours · FAQ · Gallery · Tour photo gallery · About us · Contact · Blog
