First Communion:
The only shocking thing about Holy Communion costs is parents who buy into the idea that a communion is a mini-wedding and must be treated as such. It is the parents who choose to pay several hundred euro for a dress and then spend even more on veils, tiaras, handmade shoes and a handbag. It's unnecessary to bring your child to the hairdresser for a "do". What's wrong with plain old cotton or linen and wool? If the parents have so much money, so little sense and even less taste, good luck to them. – Laura

Surely the answer is for schools to insist on school uniform for the big day? – Tom

To what purpose is this whole charade? To indoctrinate a young child into something they have no concept of, and which is patently absurd to anyone with an iota of common sense. Seems all about not upsetting the grannies and keeping up with the neighbours and not rocking the boat. – Lorenzo

At the communion at my local church, the priest asked everyone to turn off their cameras – not because it's a religious event, but because the church and school had organised an official photographer who kept flashing and literally had her lens in the children's faces. You can now buy the photos from the church sacristy at €30 each . . . Need I say more? – Pat O'Donnell