What does the holy water symbolise in a baptism?

Answer 1

Holy Water is just plain water that has been blessed. It can come from a tap, a river, the sewers... it doesn't matter where its from. If someone says a prayer over it, it becomes Holy Water.

Roman Catholic Answer

Holy water used in Baptism is water that has been specially blessed:

from Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. Doubleday & Co., Inc. Garden City, NY 1980

Baptismal water. The water used for the administration of the sacrament of baptism. For the valid conferral of baptism any ordinary natural water may be used. But for licit administration of solemn baptism, the water should be ritually blessed. Normally, the water is blessed for this purpose during the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. But it may be blessed at each baptism by the one who confers the sacrament. Three ritual blessings of the water are provided by the Roman ritual, two OS which include a symbolic touching of the water by the priest and alternate responses by the people.

Answer 2

The holy water in the baptism represents the Holy Spirit, the means in which the holy spirit comes in contact with the individual. In Matthew's he describes how John the Baptist met Jesus and was asked by Christ to be baptize him, in which it is said that as soon as he went to the water the heaves broke open and a white dove came in representation of God, thus John the Baptist recognize Christ as the Son of God, the one who will come and save the world of our sins. YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD THE THING LIKE WHEN THEY BAPTIZE PEOPLE, ALOT OF PASTORS SAY "BURIED IN THE LIKENESS OF CHRIST" (AS THEY DUNK THEM) AND THEN "RAISED TO WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE" (AS THEY LIFT THEM OUT OF THE WATER"

Answer 3

Cleansing: it is supposed to clean the baby of all sins.

Answer 4

There's no such thing as "holy water" so it doesn't mean anything.

Answer 5

Water is a symbol for the blood of Christ.