Figure 1.--First Communion class at St. Joseph's Catholic Church Rock Island, Illinois, during the 1930s. Note that most of the boys are wearing dark rather than white suits. Most are knicker suits. |
Some information is available on First Communion practices and outfits in different countries. There is a great deal of similarity among countries, but there are many interesting differences as well. Sailor suits were worn in several countries. Cassocks were worn by some boys in France and Spain. Boys in most countries wore suits which varie greatly in style over time. Boys wore kneepants, short pants, knickers, and long pants suits--styles and types varied substantially from country to country. There have been significant changes over time in these countries. Quite a bit of information is available from many countries, but information is still lacking on several countries--especially Italy.
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First Communion was a particularly important event in the lives
of many immigrant American families, especially Irish and Italian
communities. New suits were often purchased for the occasion. Sometimes but not always the suits were white symbolizing the purity of the children. It was much more common to buy white dresses for the girls than white suits for the boys. Irish and Italian mothers were more likely to insist on white suits. The suits through the 1940s were often short pants suits, but since the 1940s they are more likely to be white. The purchase of a new suit, especially a white suit, just for first communion has gradually passed out of fashion, cost being the primary factor especially as a white suit has few other uses. Now boys in many places simply wear white shirts. Girl still often are outfitted in dresses purchased just for the occassion.
Fist Comminion was a very important day in the life of an Argentine child, although this varied from school to school. The private Catholic schools gave special attention to First Communion. Boys from aflluent families would have special suits for the occasion. Eton suyits or white syuits were oparticularly popular. Often the class would dress alike for the occasion. By the 1980s such fancy suits had become less common. Other Argentine boys wore many different clothes for First Communion. It depended a lot on social status. The poorer kids mainly wore jeans, various shoes, a shirt or a t-shirt and their white front buttoning school v neck smock. Other boys from more affluent families mainly wore short pants suits.
Austria as a largely Catholic country has meant that most boys did a First Communion. We are not entirely sure when this became an important Catholic custom. As more secular believes spread, some families may not have had their children do a First Communion, but we are unsure just how common this was. Children doing First Communion in the Austro-Hungarian Empire were given medals. Some communities had uniformed bands which played when children each years did their First Communion. One vistor reported a beautiful celebration in the SalzburgerLand area. Many Austrian parishes reserve First Communion celebrations for Ascension. The First Communion does continue to be a major event in the lives of Austrian children. It is after First Communion that an Austrian boy can begin to train to be an altar boy. We note one internet posting in 2007, "Zach received his First Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday with four other kids. It was a joyous occasion. He had been working very hard to prepare himself for receiving Jesus. He told me when he received that felt Jesus. God is so good!! Zach has already asked Father Dave when the next altar server training is. He is ready to join his big brother!"
Belgium like France is a catholic country. Belgium is also a bilingual country being divided into both French (Waloons) and Dutch (Flemish) speakers. While linguistically divided, both the Waloons and Flemish are Catholics. First Communion has thus been an important event in a Belgian boys life. We believe there may have been social divisions here. We also believe that along with the decline in the importance of religion in Belgium as in much of Western Europe that the event is less important than it used to be. We have little information at this time, but we do know that some boys in the early 20ty century wore sailor suits.
Canada has a large French-speaking population in Quebec. As in France, First Communion was a major event. One boy in the early 1950s wore a beret, dark suit, and long black stockings for First Communion.
A Chilean reader tells us that, "I had one of those fancy First Communion ribbons when I made my first communion in Chile many year ago. The ribbon was attached to the Easter Lilly for the girls and around the arm for the boys. I would like to keep the tradition, but can't find where to buy one today.
We do not yet have a Czech first communion page, but we do have a Czechoslovakian religion page.
I do not yet have any information on First Communion suits in England during the 19th Century and early 20th Century. While a largely Protestant country, there is a substantial Catholic minority. Since Tudor ays the Catholics have been an opressed minority, only winning their civil rights in the 19th century. Cathloics have been largely working class Britons. Many Irish immigrated to Britain beginning with the Potato Famine of the 1840s. Thus money for an expensive First Communion suit was not always available. The Government eventually began to support Catholic schools and continues to do so today. Many schools had the boys use part of their school uniform for First Communion. An English contributor to HBC recalls in the 1960s getting a new short pants suit for First Communion. Some of his school mates got long pants suits. He does not recall boys wearing white suits, but all the girls had long dresses.
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French boys like American boys used to get dressed up in new suits or fancy outfits for their First Communion. The suits have changed over time. Some were simplly new suits. I have little historical information. American boys often wore white suits. I don't know of this was also the case in France. Other were very formal tuxedos or Eton suits. Available information on 1960s suits suggest mostly black suits. Some schools instead of having parents buy new oufits would have the boys dress up in identical cassocks for the ceremony. Sailor suits are also worn.
Germany is primarily a Protestant country, but there is a very large Catholic minority. Catholic boys often have special suits for first communion. At this time we know realtively little about the styles. Some French boys wore sailor suits, I'm not sure if German boys did also. Some German boys wore white shirt pants suits, often with kneesocks. Some boys wore long stockings or tights. The girls as in other countries wore junior wedding dresses. This is normally a major event in a Catholic boy's life and a major family celebration. Protestant boys may get new suits for communion or confirmation. We have only limited information at this time as to chronological trends on German First Communion suits. The
shoulder devices look somewhat different than the ribbons and bows that were common in some other countries. Boys sometimes wore long stockings with short pants suits as the
weather in Germany is sometimes quite chilly. Long pants suits became more common in the 1970s.
We do not know much about First Communion in India. Here is an images from northern West Bengal. The photograph was taken in Kearchand, a village with about 5,000 inhabitants 150 kilometers from Calcutta. In the region all Christians belong to Santhali Tribe. The image here shows a children's First Communion in the 1990s.
Ireland is perhaps the most Catholic country in Europe. The Irish Churchbwas at the center of preserving Irish nationality and asa result contious to have an enormous influence in modern Ireland. Most persons in the Irish Republic are Catholic and many remember their First Communion as one of their earliest experiences.
First Communion was a major event in the life of Italian children. Almost all Italians are Catholics. Most Itlaian boys thus have First Communions. Unfortunately, HBC has little information on First Communion in Italy. We also have have virtually no Italian images, let alone specific Italian first communion suits. Wedo note some rather stylish First Communion suits. Hopefully Italian visitors to this site will provide some insights. Italy is a country that HBC has had trouble obtaining information about.
Lebanon is a majority Muslim country with a substantial Christian minority. The principal Christian denomination in Levanon is the Marionite Church. It is an eastern church in communion with the Roman Catholic Church. The denomination traces its roots to St. Maron (early 5th century). The first Maronite patriarch was St. John Maron (late 7th century). Lebanon's Maronites are Arabic-speaking Christians. Their ethnic heritage is esentially the same as Muslim Lebanese (Phoenician, Assyrian, and a variety of other Levantine/West Semitic peoples). Lebanese Christians may have some Greek and European elements just as Muslim ASrabs may have some Arab ancestry, but these are relatively small additions to the historical ethnicity of the Levant. Marionite Christians have differed as to their position in the arab world or even their Arab identity. We have few details about Maronite First Communion services at this time.
We do not have much information on Africa in HBC. This is primarily because there seem to be relatively few computer users in Africa because of the generally low income levels. Thus there are few readers to provide us information and images. We do note a First Communion group in a Madagascar village. We do not yet know much about First Communion in Madagascar. The country was a Frebch colony and thus the Catholic Church is important. For some reason the group is mostly girls. They wear the traditional white dresses. The lone boy wears a white shirt with dark trousers.
Mexico like many Catholic countries places considerable emphasis on First Communion. The role of the Church in Mexico is different than in many other Spanish-speaking countries. The Church as in most of Latin America supported the conservative land-holding elite, but these consevative elements were defeated in the Revolution. As a result, there is a strict division between church and state in Mexico. Unlike some countries, there is no Catlolic access to state schools. Forst Comminion is organized through the Church alone. There are also social class destinctions. Middle class boys are much more likely to have an elaborate First Communion celebration and a Firsr Communion suit.
The Netherlands is primarily a Protestant country and majors wars were fought in the 16th and 17th centuries to gain and maintain Dutch independence and to permit protestantism to flourish. The Dutch were, however, noted for their religious tolerance. There are, as a result, Dutch Catholics and some Dutch protestant boys who celebrate their First communions as do Catholic boys in neighboring countries. A Dutch reader tells us, "In the Netherlands First Communion never was a big deal for protestant boys. The Catholics did celebrate it as a major occassion. Unlike Catholics in many other countries, Dutch Catholics take their First Communion when they are teenagers.
The first Europeans to reach the Philippines was the expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan (1521).
A series of Spanish expeditions followed. The ecploers named the Islands the Filipinas, in honor of Philip II, Spain's agressively Catholic monarch. The Spanish proceeded to colonize and Christiasnize most of the various islands. The Muslims inhabitants in the south, especiall Mindanao resisted Christianity. The Spanish faced insurgent efforts throughout the colonial period, but Christianity was widely accepted. We do not yet know a great deal about First Communion in the Philippines. We note many children wearing European styles First Communion outfits, but the Philippines tropical climate is a factor.
The Scotts took the Reformation muc further than the English. Most Scotts forsake the old Church for Presbetarianism. Some Scotts remained Catholic in remote areas. Irish immigrants brought their Catholic religion with them. Many settled in Glasgow. We do not yet have a Scottish first communion page, but we do have a Scotts religion page.
Slovakia for several centuries was ruled by Austria. Austria played a major role in preventing the spread of the Reformastion in Bohemia and Slovakia. As a result, it remained a largely Catholic province. Slovakia split from Czexhoslovakia in 1992. Slovakia continues to be culturally Catholic, but as in the rest of Europe, religion has declined in importance in the country. We do not yet have a Slovak first communion page, but we do have a Slovakian religion page.
As a Catholic country, First Communion has been a major event. This is less so now, but ardently Catholic families still do attach great importance to the event. For the children it has become a bonanza, even exceeding Christmas, although only once. A Spanish contributor informs HBC that sailor suits are popular for boys' First Communion suits, even in the 1990s. HBC has relatively few details and images to confirm this.
Switzerland is an interesting mix of language (French, German, and Italian) and religious (Catholic and different protestant) groups. First communion thus can be quite varied among these groups.
We have found some images of boys doing their First Communions that we cannot identify the country involved. Sometimes we can guess the country based on a range of clues such as appearance and clothing styles. In some cases the photographs are dated, but often they are not.In other instances this is much more difficult. We will load some of these images here. Perhaps HBC readers can help ifentigy the countries involved.
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