Communion season seems to get more and more expensive as the years go by.
Parents in Ireland are now spending nearly €900 on the celebration, but others are spending even more than that on dresses, function rooms, and even entertainment.
Gone are the days when your parents dragged you around to every relative's house to show you off in your gúna. Communions are costing families so much money, but what about those of us who can't afford the elaborate celebrations?
Some of us are barely keeping our heads above water due to the ongoing cost of living crisis, but we don't want to disappoint our kids.
We still want them to have a special day, but it just doesn't seem feasible when everything is so expensive.
We'd love to be able to splash out on themed cupcakes and a specially-made dress, but basic essentials have to come first.
Luckily, an act of kindness by one Irish school made this time of year less stressful.
The incredible parents association of St Declan’s National School in Ashbourne, Co Meath gave away free Communion outfits to parents.
The team spent a year collecting donations of second-hand dresses and suits.
They then gave away the outfits to parents for free.
Speaking to The Irish Mirror, spokesperson Caoimhe Gore shared;
"We had more than 100 dresses and about 80 suits as well as dozens of pairs of shoes, bags, and about 40 veils.
“First Communion outfits can be costly and put extra pressure on parents at this time of the year so we decided to try and reduce that stress."
She said the weekend was an incredible success.
They even have plans to host a similar event next year.
Let's hope more schools follow in the footsteps of St. Declan's National School in Ashbourne.
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