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First Communion is an important event in the life of a child, both for the child and for the family as a whole. The information gathered in our survey indicated that at the start of the 20^th century, and in keeping with the tradition inherited from earlier eras, children took their First Communion between 12 and 14 years old, when it was considered that the communicant had the necessary discernment for that act.

In our surveys, the tradition of the two communions – private and high mass – was mainly found in places of Gipuzkoa and of the northern Basque Country. However, we have found some evidence of this practice in Navarra and Bizkaia.

Álava, Bizkaia and Navarra were the main places when the tradition of making one’s First Communion alone. And the oldest accounts in our surveys indicated that the First Communion was made at a young age. More recently, the age has been slightly later and now happens at around 9 years old.

The First Communions were and continue to be held in general on a Sunday or bank holiday in spring, usually in May and June during the Paschal period. In the past, they were also held on workdays.

In many places, particularly where the communion is made at a later age, the First Communion did not have only a religious connotation according to which the child became an adult Christian, but also profane, as it mainly marked the step from childhood to adolescence. In many cases, the high mass communion was made between 12 and 14 years in the past, which coincided with the end of schooling and the start of entering the working world, and was therefore considered a rite of passage.

The First Communion is also a real social and family celebration. Originally, the meal on that day was hardly different at all from an ordinary one, even though the dessert might have been better. It was also usually to have a hot chocolate party or a small snack after the religious ceremony.