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First Communion is actually a Catholic rite where the young child receives Holy Communion for the very first time. Aside from being able to receive Holy Communion, this ceremony is supposed to signify the young faithful's first official encounter with the Holy Eucharist, which is the focus of Catholicism. As one of the seven sacraments, the First Communion also serves as a pre-requisite to the sacrament of Confirmation, the third Sacrament which is considered as a perfection of Baptism being the first.

The ceremony of the First Communion is commonly a very special celebration, especially for religious families and also schools. The youngsters (though there is no age restriction for having this Sacrament) usually wear special clothing, where the girls don a white dress with a veil to symbolize purity and the boys wear anything formal. In other cases, both girls and boys simply wear their school uniforms, but the girls always wear their veils. Generally, a family party or feast is thrown after this ceremony as a means of expressing gratitude for a child having the opportunity to receive the Holy Eucharist.

Although Holy Communion is a Sacrament for all Catholic faithfuls, not just anyone can receive it. It is necessary of everyone, even children, that a confession need to first be made before a priest prior to becoming worthy of receiving the Eucharist. The Catholic religion necessitates that anyone be 'without sin and in a state of grace' before being able to receive Holy Communion. This is why children are made to confess their sins first before they are allowed to participate in the First Communion ceremony. After the confession, you will have penance, which will consists of prayers that are to be said so that you can erase or atone for the confessed sins or misdeeds.

Because the third of the seven Catholic Sacraments, a person, whether or not a child or an adult, cannot receive Holy Communion without first receiving the first, which is baptism. Yet however, there are other requirements that have to be fulfilled. Receiving the Holy Eucharist for the very first time is a very special event for Catholics. It is far from something that is received as part of a religious or academic schedule. In fact, children have to study it first in school, while those who do not attend Catholic institutions are required to undergo classes during weekends. Typically, schools talk about Holy Communion as part of their religious subjects for two years before students is often able to attend a First Communion ceremony.