A child for whom an adult has accepted religious responsibility as a godparent, typically at a baptism or similar ceremony.
Compound of 'god' and 'child,' from Middle English and Old English. The custom comes from Christian practices of spiritual sponsorship that developed in early Christian communities.
Being a godparent is one of the last surviving feudal-style pledge systems—you literally promise to care for someone's spiritual development if something happens to their parents, a serious commitment disguised as a fun party!
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