Celebrating Religious Milestones

Three of the most popular religious milestones in America are Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation.  Within the space of ten to fifteen years, friends and family have to come up with three different gifts for each of the young ones in their livesthat are appropriate for these important events.  How can you choose the perfect gift for each mileston? Thankfully, protocol dictates many likely gifts for these occasions, and it's easy to find some creative options out there, too!

Baptism is the first religious milestone in many children's lives, which makes it the first opportunity that family and friends have to gather together in honor of a new life and celebrate its promise and possibility.  It is also a great chance to honor the new parents and give them support as they learn to adjust to their new roles and responsibliities. Traditionally, the sacrament of Baptism is a way for a religious community to welcome its new members.  It is the first step on a path that will lead to First Communion and then Confirmation.  But, since babies are too young to begin studying their faith just yet, the best Baptism gifts focus on the promise of the future.

First Communion is typically received in kindergarten or first grade, after children have been attending religious education classes for one to two years.  The sacrament of First Communion is meant to symbolize a child's deepening relationship with his or her faith, as well as the first step to a more adult perspective toward religion.  From the day of first communion forward, the child has a new responsiblity.  Family and friends can celebrate this rite of passage with gifts that emphasize gaining maturity and wisdom.

The sacrament of Confirmation is often considered to be the most important of these three common religious milestones because it is the only milestone in which the child, now a young adult preteen or teenager, must take some active part in the sacrament.  Usually the students are expected to perform community service, participate in an interview with a leader in the religious community, and study in preparation for an exam, all in order to demonstrate their serious commitment to their faith.  In the first two milestones, it is the parents who direct the child; in receiving Confirmation, a child affirms that he or she is now taking full responsiblity for the faith.  The perfect Confirmation gift will celebrate that newfound sense of commitment with joy.