Irish broadcaster Maia Dunphy admitted to “lighting the touchpaper” after a discussion she ignited on Twitter about First Holy Communions went viral.
The former Dancing with the Stars contestant took to Twitter to ask whether First Holy Communion ceremonies were hypocritical for non-religious households, sparking fiery debate on the platform.
Many of Maia’s followers agreed with her view that the religious celebration had become too excessive in nature, although others pointed out that it acts as a rite of passage for children in spite of their relationship to religion.
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“I know there’s an element of it being an excuse for a big party after 2 years of sh*te, but is it not a little hypocritical for some who would not set foot in a church otherwise?”, Maia asked her 64k followers on the platform.
One user suggested that a non-religious child making their communion is no different to most people’s increasingly secular relationship with Christmas. Maia, however, pointed out that Communion is one of the sacraments within the Catholic Church, while Christmas is technically just a birthday.
A spending survey published by Ulster Bank in 2019 revealed that the average cost of a Communion celebration came close to €1000, with one in four children receiving donations of over €800 from family and friends.
2022 marks the first year of typical Communion season since the onset of the pandemic, as COVID-19 lockdowns were in force in May of the previous two years.
Veteran journalist and columnist Mary Kenny also contributed to the discussion, saying that the tradition was important and should not be rejected.
“No. People need rites of passage and to mark a special day. Let them celebrate. Objections are from the school of Cromwellite Puritanism,” Mary responded.
Maia later Tweeted that she herself enjoyed the rituals of festivities such as Communions, but was interested in hearing different opinions on the issue.
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