A Brit Milah, also referred to as a Bris, is a religious ceremony that takes place on the eighth day of a Jewish baby boy’s life. Traditionally, a Brit Milah takes place on the morning of the eighth day. But there are some who choose to host it during the evening. Here is all that you need to know regarding hosting either a morning or an evening Bris.
If you choose to host your Bris in the morning, it normally takes place immediately after morning prayers. When the prayers end, the women are invited to join and watch the ceremony take place. After the ceremony, guests are welcomed to a morning breakfast. This meal can range from being served pick up style, to go style (this was extremely popular during covid), or with a large breakfast buffet.
Pros to a morning bris…
· A morning bris is the more cost-efficient option. Breakfast is typically the cheapest meal of the day, meaning that your morning catering bill should cost less in comparison to an evening bris that serves dinner. Now of course, it is possible to throw a costly morning bris with fancy food, but you can get away with spending less on your catering here.
· The décor of a morning bris can also be done in an inexpensive way. Using your creativity, there are ways to embrace a theme during a morning event while spending less. In my opinion, a morning bris is the perfect place to embrace a specific theme, as opposed to an evening bris where you want to produce a more elegant and richer looking event.
· When it comes to your venue, many have a cheaper rental fee for morning events than evening events. Another place to save some money.
Cons to a morning bris…
· A morning bris can be stressful due to time. Getting ready for your celebration, including having your hair and makeup done, takes a good amount of time which means an early wakeup. On top of that, if you have some children to dress or a commute to the hall, it could be a lot to do in a short period of time.
· If your bris is to take place on a weekday morning, guests may not be able to linger around at the breakfast for much time. Men often must leave to go to work and women to start their day. Unfortunately, the amount of effort and money that you put into the celebration doesn’t last long.
Now, on to the afternoon / evening option. Regarding the legality of hosting your bris in the evening, you must pay attention to the time the sun sets. Since the actual ceremony of the bris must take place on the eighth day of the baby’s life, the ceremony must occur before the sun sets on that day. So, if you have your baby in the middle of December, your bris must go off approximately before 4 pm. In the summer, when the sun sets between 8 to 9 pm, you would have to perform the ceremony before then. After the ceremony, dinner is often served.
Pros to an evening bris…
· No early wake up. No rush to get ready. You wake up that morning, feed your baby, and relax a bit until it is time to start getting ready.
· If the sun sets late in the day, men will arrive to the bris after work. Ladies with young children can put their kids to sleep before coming to celebrate. Families can enjoy the party together with no rush to leave. With that being said, the money spent on this event yields to a longer celebration than a morning bris.
· An evening celebration allows more relaxation for guests, where a mother may grab a glass of wine or a dad a scotch after a long day.
· This may sound like a silly pro, but because I am a wife and I know that making dinner every night can be stressful, you are saving your guests from having to worry about dinner. Truly a lifesaver for some!
Cons to a morning bris…
· Dinner is more costly than breakfast, so your catering bill will be higher than at a morning bris.
· If your venue is one that hosts engagement parties or weddings, your desired date may have already been booked in advance. If it isn’t booked, the venue may charge a larger fee for an evening event compared to a morning event.
· If your bris takes place during the winter months, it will have to go off at an hour that is often felt as during the middle of the day. Some guests may not be able to cut their day short to attend the celebration, so your guest count may be less should you choose the evening bris over the morning.
· At an evening bris, some choose to hire a singer or musician for guests to enjoy. In tandem with that, you may choose to add specialty lighting to your event to accentuate the mood. These two costs are often not found with a morning bris or are done more elaborately during an evening bris.
· In my opinion, an evening event calls for more elaborate décor. Fancier rentals and florals can add a large cost to your event bill.
If you have any follow up questions or concerns while planning your Bris, feel free to contact me directly as I am here to help!
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