Why did the girls at first communion wear bridal clothing?

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My husband and I were talking about this the other day, and I thought of something. Although, this might not be accurate, I think it makes sense.

In the Eucharist, we believe that it is the presence of Christ. So, if the girls are “brides” and the boys are “grooms”, then through their first holy communion they are united and become one with Christ for the first time. In the same respect, when they grow up and get married they are doing the same thing, except with each other and they both bring Christ with them.🤷
 
puzzleannie said:
the form, shape and material of the headcovering for first communicants (and brides) is mostly a cultural, not religious custom. In some cultures it is a cap, more or less fancy with lace, ribbons etc, in other cultures a veil, in others flowers etc. and is usually a fancier version of the bonnet, scarf, cap or veil worn every day in those cultures. Until about 100 years ago confirmation and first communion were celebrated together in the west, usually at about the age formal schooling ended (12 to 16 depending on the age youth were sent out to work). So the head covering was that assumed by girls of an age to go out in the world of work, whether domestic, farm, or industrial.
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This was also the time when the parents said the girl was of marriagable age. Her reception of Holy Communion and Confirmation were important steps along the road to adulthood.

In many cultures, the last act of a mother was to remove the girl’s bridal veil and replace it with a marriage cap. This symbolized that the girl was “officially” an adult and of her place in village society as an adult. Until this time she could wear flowers in her hair or wear her hair loose, like that of a child…

Hope this helps…
 
I think they look adorable. I think the Lord is please to see them dressing up pretty for him. They received Jesus Christ’s Body and Blood for the first time in their life.
 
Just found a newspaper photo of my first communion class from December 1954. The girls were in white and wore flowers.
 
Jennifer_J said:
So, a quick question… is it okay for my daughter to use the bridal veil I wore for my wedding for her first communion veil?

Thanks 🙂
Jennifer
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One little girl at my parish was wearing a dress that had been made from her mother’s wedding dress. I don’t see why your dd couldn’t use your veil. 😃
 
1ke said:
Um… I was referencing further back and more universal-- for example nuns.
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But nuns were cloistered and not in the “world”…

Everyday women did not wear veils… there were other head coverings that identified who they were and what their station was in the community…😃
 
Patchunky said:
But nuns were cloistered and not in the “world”…

Everyday women did not wear veils… there were other head coverings that identified who they were and what their station was in the community…😃
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A veil was a traditional headcovering for all women until more recently hats replaced veils. And, that is the origin of veils in the Church.

As with many things in our faith, the veil is a symbol as is the white garment.

Look, this isn’t a debate on the history of veils. It’s not inaccurate to say that veils were a traditional head covering for women-- they certainly were at one time. The veils of nuns, brides, and first communicants reflect that traditional head covering in the same way priestly vestments do. Originally the vestments were rooted in the everyday garb of all men in the early church-- and eventually as secular fashions changed the priestly vestments remained as a remnant of that traditional mode of dress.
 
I wore a white dress with a veil for my 1st communion in 1955. I understood later that because after my first confession, I think I only had one before the communion that I was of the age now when I could know right from wrong. I could receive communion as like an adult. We had been very well versed on what was sin then. i also think it was because we were a virgin in the spiritual sense but didn’t mean we had to become a nun. Ours was white AND white lace we never did anything without white lace and we mostly had white lace hankies and after that wore a lace mantella.I wish I knew how to put my pic in. I loved that dress but it was borrowed handed down by all the cousins and we were many so had to go to the next person the next year. The lace made me itch though. Our graduation from 8th was the same way we wore white dresses that we were bought for by parents and could weare everyday. No head covering. Boys in suits. In our churches the boys and girls were always kept on the ither sides of the rooms even in church school or basketball games etc,. Was it that way with you? We used to escape to the 1$ matinees on saturdays to sit with our favorite boyfriend from age 12 to 16 just to hold hands and thought no one was looking. 😉 Those were the days.🙂 Dessert
 
Now if we could get the guests to dress appropiately & modestly, that would be quite the accomplishment as well!

God bless all of the First Holy Communicants. May they keep their hunger for Christ always.
 
mdgspencer said:
While visiting an out-of-town parish, we found that more than 20 children were having their first communion. The girls, about a dozen of them, were dressed as brides. My wife, who is from a country without this custom, was very surprised, and when she asked me why, I realized that I had never learned the actual reason for this. So I thought I would ask why here.
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Back in 1988, my son made his first communion in a very Italian parish in Brooklyn. We had a lot of kids making their first communions that year, so we had several Sundays with groups, many individual Family Communions, and one Italian communion. The girls at the Italian service wore floor length gowns, elaborate veils and carried bouquets. They did look like brides rather than First Communicants. The boys wore white suits. I’d never seen anything like it before, even in the Italian parish in St. Louis. Some of those dresses cost more than my wedding gown did, and they had big catered parties in rental halls like wedding receptions.
 
Theseare closer to what I wore when I went through my first communion. But I think mine was fluffier, and my mama made my veil.
 
1ke said:
A veil was a traditional headcovering for all women until more recently hats replaced veils. And, that is the origin of veils in the Church.

As with many things in our faith, the veil is a symbol as is the white garment.

Look, this isn’t a debate on the history of veils. It’s not inaccurate to say that veils were a traditional head covering for women-- they certainly were at one time. The veils of nuns, brides, and first communicants reflect that traditional head covering in the same way priestly vestments do. Originally the vestments were rooted in the everyday garb of all men in the early church-- and eventually as secular fashions changed the priestly vestments remained as a remnant of that traditional mode of dress.
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What was not traditional in all cultures was a lacey mantilla- which seems to be what a lot of people think of as a “traditional veil” and is not, except in Spain.

In Sicily, women wore big, heavy knitted shawls as their head covering!!! Cannot imagine what that was like in summer!!!
 
As the first granddaughter, I wore the dress the first time. It was mine for years, as it did not fit the next sister well. It was knee-length, nylon with a very full skirt.

The veil we ordered through the school. It had this giant ruffle across the top of the head, lace on the sides of the tulle, and faux lillies of the valley on either side.

As an effort to make things “simpler” we had to wear robes over our communion dresses- really, they encouarged us to wear slips. Not my grandpa! The white robe with white cape puffed out a great deal when I wore it with the dress.
 
stbruno said:
Now if we could get the guests to dress appropiately & modestly, that would be quite the accomplishment as well!

.
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amen, they should make the veils long enough to tuck into the sponsor’s decolletage.
 
lak611 said:
:confused: I never heard of sponsors for First Communion. I have only heard of sponsors for Baptism, Confirmation and RCIA.
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Yeah, but it was funny anyway.

Back in the 1950s, we wore hats to church, just like June Cleaver and Margaret Anderson wore on TV. Teenaged girls tened to wear scarves. Beanies at schoolchildren’s daily Mass. Even after people started wearing chapel veils and mantillas (and way more were chapel veils than mantillas) you got a new hat for Easter. Then you didn’t have to wear anything at all and most of the women and girls around here stopped.

My guess is that women wore whatever type of head covering was prevalent in their time and place. The chapel veils and mantillas were pretty much an easy way to fulfill a requirement. They were in little plastic envelopes with a snap on the foldover part, and you could just stick it your purse. I find them more expedient than reverent for that reason.
 
lak611 said:
:confused: I never heard of sponsors for First Communion. I have only heard of sponsors for Baptism, Confirmation and RCIA.
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in some cultures, Mexican for one, padrinos are the custom, in fact, the child’s baptismal godparents should be part of the sacramental preparation and certainly present at the Mass and celebration.
 
It is a typical Mexican custom to have padrinos, who pitch in for various items depending on how hard they push the padrinos.

Some take it to the extreme and pick out padrinos for every single item getting all lavish and a little off track as it becomes a show.

In my case we are asked my mother to be a madrina(female padrino) and she bought the first communion dress, which resembles a bridal gown. It is white, fluffy and formal.

White to symbolize purity,
Fluffy because it is pretty and my daughter likes it,
Formal to show respect for the Blessed Sacrament.

With a small veil, as we veil holiness. Women are symbols of purity and in imitation of the Blessed Mother.

Many bridal dresses are similar just because of the same reasons.

In Christ,
Scylla
 
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