to not understand why girls need to wear a wedding dress to get confirmed?

[AndyWarholsBanana]

DH is from an Irish Catholic family so I have seen loads of photos of his nieces on their confirmation days in a white dress with a veil and always thought it looked a bit odd but never quite got the connection with it looking like a wedding dress.
Yesterday, there were 2 girls aged about 10 going into our local Catholic church and they were unmistakeably dressed as brides - full length white dresses with trains and veils. I just found it really disconcerting and a bit yuck. I'm sure they weren't bothered and probably enjoyed getting dressed up but it just freaked me out a bit. Is it supposed to symbolise getting married to God or something?
I don't know if I'm overthinking it but I am very aware through one of the charities I donate to about the forced marriage of young girls in some developing countries and wonder if this is part of the reason seeing prepubescent girls in wedding dresses makes me feel so uneasy.

You dont have to wear white for first holy communion or confirmation in a catholic church. I didn't - red dress for the first, black trouser suit for the second.

High Church of England here so not far short of Catholic.
Confirmed when I was 13.
Wore a white dress. (Wore it again to my grandparents' Golden Wedding party because I didn't have anything else)

The confirmation was a big event with lots of us being confirmed. Local very important man Bishop came and did the lot. Communion was only after confirmation.

The difference I was talking about was first holy communion and confirmation not boys suits.

Happy in the Catholic Church children have lessons to prepare for first holy communion and then later have a different set of lessons for confirmation.

I grew up around mainly methodists so this has been all pretty new to me. I have to say I find the whole bridal look as children ick too. (Aren't bridal veils supposed to be symbolic of a groom seeing his bride for the first time?)

But then I think making promises you dont mean or dont fully understand is a bit off too.

I'm only in my 40's, but I can still remember a lot of women having their hair covered, by way of a scarf, but sometimes still hats, in Church.

Around the world, at religious/spiritual ceromonies, different parts have to be covered, or left bare.

When the wearing of head covering died out, they were still worn at special events, so veils took over.

Little boys didn't look much different to little girls, tbh. It's culture that has directed putting boys in suits.

The whole set up of any modern day Church/Christianity is steeped in Misogyny, so picking up on one point is pointless, tbh.

Happy I was high church as well - all that latin and incense

The tradition is white for each of the sacraments, baptism, confirmation etc. But you can in fact wear whatever you like.

And first holy communion isn't always before confirmation. In our church it is baptism, reconciliation, confirmation then holy communion.

Cric Yes, I had to go to classes to prepare for confirmation. Had to learn the Creed off by heart and take on board the Catechism (much to my mother's evil pleasure).

Irish Catholic here and my dd made her communion last weekend. Girls are aged 7 to 8 and wear white generally, although some wear ivory or cream. Veils etc are all optional and definitely not worn by everyone or even by the majority. The dresses range from very simple and plain to elaborate. Boys wear either suits or smart casual eg chinos, jeans, converse etc. Confirmation is for older children aged 11 to 12, my ds2 made his in march. They wear either school uniform or an alb ( which is a cream robe over their clothes) for the ceremony then its usually smartish clothing underneath the alb. My ds wore jeans and converse with a baseball type jacket.

I am in Ireland btw

"Aren't bridal veils supposed to be symbolic of a groom seeing his bride for the first time?)"

In some cultures, but not in Catholic Churches (but also Judasim etc) different forms of veils will be worn at different prayer times/occasions.

Items/alters/books are also covered (veiled).

I think OP you are perhaps are more used to seeing these things at weddings, so are associating what you are seeing, as "weddingy", rather than realising these things are standard at important prayer/pledging times.

I think it being a mainly African congregation may be relevant as there are a lot of mostly African churches round here and they do seem to make a really big deal about dressing up for church, not just for big occasions like christenings. I saw a baby who couldn't have been older than 2 months going into church today in a suit - accessorised with a dummy.

A relative of mine couldn't have his Comunion because he had been sneeking off to play football when he should have been at his Lessons.

He is the only one in his side of the family who isn't Confirmed. He had to go to a completely different Seniour school because of it.

I was brought up RC. Communion at 7, white knee length dress, veil, gloves. White cardie. Confirmed at about 14 - posdibly a bit later than usual. White skirt suit. Confirmation is 'commiting your life to Christ'

I didn't realise that RC and CofE were so different re the first Communion thing. So, if you have Holy Communion age 8, do you get wine?

Here in Spain many of the boys having first communion will be wearing a sailor's outfit the photos of Catholic DH and his siblings are hilarious!

Children making first communion wear white. Children making confirmation wear smart clothes. Are you mixing up the two?

Re the wine, I don't know what happens in Catholic churches in the UK but here in Ireland you only get the bread at communion not the wine. That applies to everyone not just children at first holy communion. I have never received wine in church, its just not part of the ceremony.

Different country here, but Roman Catholic:

First Communion at about 10 years of age (4th grade) after a year of study -white colour for girls, dark for boys - dresses from simple to elaborate for girls and suits or combinations for boys or covering white robes (Kutten) for boys and girls alike; an no wine, bread only

Confirmation (Firmung) from about 16 onwards, after a year of study, no dress code but usually formal dress
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Protestant (evangelisch) - confirmation (Konfirmation) at 14 after a year of study - traditionally black formal dress / suit

But you don't have to stick to these traditions - whatever is respectful is OK

How on earth can one have first communion at 7? Children cannot have faith, it's ridiculous.

Do they still do Corpus Christi? Girls wore veils at that.

The wine is special communion wine and fortified - a bit like port (yum) but watered down (yuk). You can get non alcoholic stuff but I don't think it sells very well.