Question:

We just had a baby boy and we have been wondering, is there a special outfit that we should be dressing him in for his brit milah (ritual circumcision)?

Answer:

Mazel Tov on the birth of your son!

The circumcision ceremony is a very meaningful life passage (click here for more about the meaning of circumcision), and as part of our expression of joy in the fulfillment of this commandment, we groom and dress the baby boy.

First, the baby should be bathed in warm water so that he is clean in honor of the great mitzvah.1

Then, he should be dressed in fine clothing. Some say that this should be done by the mother specifically.2 Many refer to the circumcision ceremony as the marriage between G‑d (the bride) and the small baby (the groom).3 Therefore, the baby should be dressed up in festive clothing, as if for his wedding.

Some have the custom that the baby should wear a kipah, a head covering – for practical reasons, this would generally be in the form of a hat or a cap, since a traditional kipah would not stay on a newborn's head. And there are some who dress the baby in tzitzit, the ritual fringes worn by Jewish males.4

Dovid Zaklikowski
Chabad.org/Judaism