What is the origin of First Communion?

Do you know the origin of First Communion? Discover with us the history and curiosities of this celebration of the Catholic religion. At the Last Supper of Christ gave rise to one of the most representative and beautiful rituals in the Catholic religion: "Communions". At that supper Jesus and his apostles took bread and wine as a model of the body and blood of God. At present, communions are a sacrament where children before being adolescents participate in the Eucharist, being an indispensable requirement that they have been baptized previously. It is now well founded that in the early days of Christianity it was common for infants to receive Communion immediately after being baptized. The First Communion recorded dates from the year 1215 by the document called the Lateran Council, where it is determined that all children between the ages of 12 and 14 can receive this important sacrament for the first time. However, it was not until the seventeenth century when it began to have a special meaning. During the twentieth century a whole process of valorization of the First Communion was developed and the mixture of religion with the military world appears. At first only noble families participated, until later every Catholic could participate in it. Children from notable families begin to wear the sailor suit as a special garment to receive this sacrament. Before the children wore a costume adapted from the parents with a white bow on the left sleeve with the date and painted drawings.

The way to receive communion in infants was by dipping the finger in the consecrated chalice and touching the infant's tongue. Today the age of children who take their First Communion can range from 8 years to 14 years. How is First Communion celebrated in other countries? In Catholic countries such as Italy, Latin America, Ireland, Hungary and Poland they celebrate it as they do in our country. As for the celebration itself, it differs from country to country. Thus, in Latin America children usually commune in military-style gala uniforms, and in Luxembourg and Switzerland children are dressed in plain white tunics and slabs with wooden crosses around their necks. In Scotland they commune with the traditional dress of the country (the typical kilt). First Communion is a tradition proper to the Catholic Church. Therefore, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, children are not celebrated and given for the first time as soon as they have been baptized. On the other hand, in the Catholic Church first communion is given to children who already have the use of reason. A fact of interest is that almost all the communions that are celebrated in Spain take place during the month of May, it is the time when Nature awakens in all its splendor. The perfect temperature begins to organize a celebration with games and activities where guests have a great time. In the gymkanas for communions of Monkey Donkey children will be the protagonists of amazing stories. The games Colegio de Magia or En tu fiesta me colé are synonymous with success to entertain the guests of the communion. As you have seen, the First Communion has been since its inception an important celebration that centuries later is still a great event.