10 Memorable Gifts for a Communion Girl and Everything You Need to Know About First Holy Communion (2019)

Just as food is of the utmost importance to sustain human life, spiritual food is what is needed for the human soul. This belief is embodied in the Christian practice of communion. Christians take in a small bite of bread and a sip of wine to show their respect and devotion towards Jesus. Christ gave himself to save mankind; the bread represents his body and the wine his blood.

Communion is receiving of Jesus Christ in the sacrament of Holy Eucharist. The first time a Christian receives the holy communion is an important landmark. Usually, children between the age of 7 to 8 years of age will receive their first communion, this means accepting the Eucharist from the priest by holding their palms on top of one another. The first communion usually involves gift giving and mainly consists of religions gifts such as Bibles and rosaries.

Communion is given at the church and sees the priest giving the child a little bread and wine which is metaphorically turned into Christ's body and blood. Communion is second of the seven sacraments of the Eucharist and after receiving communion children are said to be communicants of Jesus and his teachings. Girls are usually dressed in an all-white dress or gown with a veil for the ceremony and boys wear suits and tie.

If you're aware of a child who's recently going to celebrate her communion ceremony then for her big day you can for gifts which will be memorable to her for a lifetime. The 7 or 8-year-old will be excited and anxious about the ceremony and the gift can capture this moment and remind her of it years later. For a kid aged between 7 and 8 years, communion is an important day; even with her childlike innocence she realises it is a day of great significance. And so go with a gift which she'll accept eagerly and the one which she'll remember for a lifetime or at least for years to come.

The first communion is one of the most important days that comes into a child's life. They are the center of the attention and have been preparing to receive their first holy sacrament. The ceremony is usually followed by a small party or meal organised by the child's parents.

Even though this is a religious ceremony it is perfectly acceptable to give her things she can use, after all, how many crosses, Bibles and rosary beads does a girl need. Clothes, school supplies like art material, books to read, water bottles and school bags or interesting games and toys suitable for her age are good options. Choosing a gift that has practical use is a better option than something that just sits on a shelf. Symbolic gift items like communion themed jewellery are both useful and commemorative.

Even though most children have their first communion before they turn 10 years old, there is no fixed age for this. Keep the girl's age in mind when buying her presents. Like if she is a young child of about 8 years of age, she will not be particularly thrilled with a somber, hardbound volume of the Bible – there are many versions made specially to appeal children, buy her one of these. Kids today are looking forward to more trendy and popular gifts and their first communion ceremony is no different. It is a spiritual ceremony but try to strike a good balance between religious gifts and things she will enjoy as a child.

Teach her how important this day is for her and you can let her get a more clear idea of what it means by asking the priest come to have lunch with you. You can also ask the priest to bless one of the symbols that she might have received as the gift. As a parent you can give your child a journal in which she can practice her prayers by writing them down. Children at this age are often learning to read and write and presenting her with a journal will help her learn the teachings of Christianity.

The first communion is a joyous occasion for the girl as well the her family. The celebration of receiving her first Eucharist is shared by the family with their friends and gifts given at this time must reflect what the celebration is about.

Go with Gold Color Resurrection Scenes 12” Resin Stone Wall Cross. This particular piece comes in various sizes. Available on Amazon for Rs.1,050, this is a one of a kind piece crafted with genuine pewter, brass and exquisite wood. Specially designed for first communion, this cross can be hung in her room and will always remind her of her special day. This gift will also remind her of the love Jesus has for his children. And for a personal touch, you can engrave the gift with her name, the date of the communion ceremony or even a verse or message.

Gift her a special First Communion Bible that can become a special keepsake to be handed down to her own children and grandchildren one day. The Bible for children has 40 selections from the Old and New Testaments and each of them is illustrated. The language is simple and straightforward and is easy for a child to understand. It also has additional presentation page which can be used for recording family and personal information. The beautiful volume has gold edged pages.

You can also pick the Cathedral edition of the Child of God Missal and prayer book from zieglers.com priced at 750 INR. This book is filled with information about order of the mass, common prayers, stations of the cross and more. The 144 page book also has space for recording information and beautiful illustrations from the Fratelli-Bonelli art collection.

This is a special day for the communion girl but she is still a child and may not remember it well a few years down the line. Capture the moment with a beautifully framed picture that she can display in her room or on the top of her desk. You can buy a picture frame you think she may like, or pick up one of the special communion frames that are readily available online.

One such example is the Silver Frame With Cross that has been created for such an occasion; it is available on personalcreations.com. The highly polished frame is silver plated and features a cross at the top. The photo frame can be customised with a message of your choice to give it more personal touch. Every girl should have a framed picture from the day she received her first communion. Buy this frame for Rs.1,960.

Bracelets for children do make a good gift since girls are often very fond of jewellery. A First Holy Communion Name Bracelet will make a good gift for your little girl on her first communion. This bracelet is handmade using genuine Swarovski crystals and pink pearls. It comes in different sizes to fit your girl's wrist. Available on Amazon, it is priced at Rs.2,533. This bracelet has beads of sterling silver which contains letters and can be customised with your girl's name.

Jewellery boxes and keepsake boxes are popular gifts given to girls for their first communion. Girls often receive jewellery, rosaries and handkerchiefs to mark this day and a pretty box can enable her to keep all these mementos in one place. They can be personalised with her name and such a gift will last her in good stead for years.

Music boxes are another great gift. Rosary Music Box by Petite Ivory plays Ave Maria when its transparent glass top is lifted. The wind up music box is fitted with a photo frame lid where you can add a picture of her in her communion dress. You can also customise it with a message. Give the box on its own or add a few smaller gifts inside. She can later use this box to keep her jewellery and small treasures. It is priced at Rs.1,770 on Amazon.

It is customary for a communion girl to have a handkerchief matching with her communion outfit. Even if her parents have already got one for her you can still buy her pretty white lace handferchiefs or cotton ones with embroidery; have her name embroidered on it along with her name so she can keep it as a memory of this day. My First Holy Communion Keepsake Handkerchief is a white handkerchief embroidered with the words 'My First Communion' on every corner and is made of a polyester cotton blend. Gift her this handkerchief with a chalice and scroll design as symbolic gifts. Buy the handkerchief on Amazon for Rs.984.

A young girls will be delighted to receive a beautiful keepsake box on the day of her first communion. Such as Cross Locket Keepsake Box. Made of wood, this keepsake box has a silver cross at the top which can hold 2 photographs. Available in teal and coral colors you can also customise this box with a personal message of up to 20 characters. The box is inscribed with a verse from the Bible, and each colour box has a different verse. It is available on gifts.com for Rs.1,960.

If the girl you are buying a gift for is on the younger side, she may need a nightlight in her room when she sleeps. Small children are often afraid of the dark and a nighlight comforts them till they fall asleep. Give her Noah's Ark Accent Light by Personal Creations. This charming light is made of wood and is painted with acrylic paint. It is lit by a 7 watt type C bulb to give off a soft warm glow. It is a great addition to your daughter's bedside nightstand. This gift can also feature a personal message for her. It is available on gifts.com for Rs.3,268.

Making a gift for the girl receiving her first communion is a great way to give her something unique. Since many people will be giving her gifts at this time, several gifts are bound to be repeated. Certain gifts are popular for such an event and she may end up receiving several copies of the Bible, rosary beads and so on.

If you are looking for something that appeals to a child, think no further than some kind of delicious sweet treat. You can bake her a cake, make candy or chocolates or any other kind of sweet she likes. Or you can make her sugar cookies. The parents of the girl usually organise a small celebratory meal or part afterwards, and these can be served to guests as well. Decorate them with royal icing, dip them in chocolate or if you know your way around fondant there is a lot of scope to make them very pretty. Here is a simple recipe you can follow.

Candles are essential for prayer and are great to give as gifts too. If you are you're good at making things with your hand then you can give her handmade candles. Not only do they look wonderful they are pocket-friendly too. Now there are two ways you can approach this gift - wrap and decorate a store bought candle, or make a candle from scratch.

The first option is the simpler of the two and can be put together very quickly, this is the better alternative if you are short on time. All you need are chunky candles, since there is little scope for slim candles, though if you have a creative way to decorate slim candles, go ahead. You will also need an old candle, some lace, ribbons, glitter, a length of twine, or whatever you want to decorate the candle with, and a lighter. Using the old candle as glue to stick the decoration and wrapping, attach the lace, ribbon or any other ornamentation you are using.

The second option is melt down wax and make a new candle in a pretty jar or small glasses. Use bits of old candle or buy some fresh wax. Add essential oils to give the candles a nice fragrance and decorate them nicely before giving them to her. Not only is this a nice gift, such candles cost very little to make.

Kids attending their first communion are looking forward to receiving a number of gifts because let’s face it they're kids and kids love receiving presents. And if you're going to attend a girl's first communion ceremony and want to gift her something different, make a handmade card.

Use a qood quality card paper as the base. Use your artistic skills to paint or draw but if you aren’t very confident about doing that, take prints of designs you want on the card and cut them out to make stencils to trace out patterns on the card. You can also use them to cut shapes from card paper and make a layered design on the card. Write a heartfelt message on the card if you are close to the girl, if not, look for quotes and messages suitable for this day.