First Communion is an important tradition for Catholic families and individuals. For
Latin Church Catholics, Holy Communion is usually the third of seven sacraments received; it occurs only after receiving Baptism, and once the person has reached the
age of reason (usually, around the second grade). First confession (the first
sacrament of penance) must precede one's first reception of the Eucharist. For those entering into the Catholic Church as adults, Confirmation occurs immediately before first Communion. In 1910,
Pope Pius X issued the decree
Quam singulari, which changed the age at which First Communion is taken to 7 years old, due to the case of
Ellen Organ. Previously, local standards had been 10 or 12 or even 14 years old. Byzantine Catholics celebrate the sacraments of baptism, confirmation (Chrismation), and Holy Communion on the same day as an infant's baptism. Traditions of celebration surrounding First Communion usually include large family gatherings and parties to celebrate the event. The first communicant wears special clothing. The clothing is often white to symbolize purity, but not in all cultures. Often, a girl wears a fancy dress and a
veil attached to a chaplet of flowers or some other hair ornament. In other communities, girls commonly wear dresses passed down to them from sisters or mothers, or even simply their school uniforms with the veil or wreath. Boys may wear a suit and tie, tuxedo, their Sunday best, or national dress, with embroidered armbands worn on the left arm and occasionally white gloves. In many
Latin American countries, boys wear military-style dress uniforms with gold
braid aiguillettes. In
Switzerland, both boys and girls wear plain white robes with brown wooden
crosses around their necks. In Spain, Germany, Luxembourg, Austria, and
Guam, girls are dressed up as brides, although this has been partly replaced by
albs in recent times. In
Scotland, boys traditionally wear
kilts and other traditional Scottish dress which accompany the kilt. In the
Philippines, First Communion services often occur on or around the Feast of the
Immaculate Conception (the country's
patron saint), with boys donning either the
barong tagalog or semi-formal Western dress, and girls a plain white dress and sometimes a veil. In
Vietnam, girls wear white
áo dài with a veil, though this is not always the case. Gifts of a religious nature are usually given, such as
Bibles,
children's or teenager's daily devotional books,
rosaries,
prayer books, religious statues,
icons, and
holy cards. Monetary gifts are also common. Many families have formal professional photographs taken in addition to candid snapshots in order to commemorate the event. Some churches arrange for a professional photographer after the ceremony. ==Gallery==