Gift Ideas for a Child's Confirmation
Confirmation is the third of the Catholic sacraments of initiation and usually takes place in junior high or early high school. During the ceremony, the person chooses the name of a patron saint that she relates to or finds particularly comforting and takes that name as her confirmation name or as her second middle name. After attending the confirmation ceremony, it is traditional for friends and family to gather at a reception afterward and present gifts to the confirmed.
Other People Are Reading
-
Patron Saint Gifts
-
The most common and popular confirmation gifts are medals, jewelry, figurines, books and wall hangings featuring the child's patron saint. Selections that also incorporate a dove or the color red are particularly fitting confirmation gifts because they are the most recognizable symbols of confirmation.
If you are unsure what the child's patron saint is, check the confirmation invitation and program or ask the child or the child's family directly. Do not assume that a child named John will have St. John as a patron saint; in fact, since the name of the patron saint is taken on as a second middle name when a child is confirmed, it's very likely that he will choose a patron saint who doesn't share his baptismal (first) name.
Medals, jewelry and wall hangings featuring the holy spirit are also appropriate Confirmation gifts if you cannot determine a child's patron saint, or if you have difficulty locating items featuring a lesser-known patron saint.
Money
-
A crisp new bill tucked away in an envelope or slipped discreetly to the child at the reception following the confirmation ceremony is a traditional and well-received gift. Many children plan ahead to use the monetary gifts they receive for confirmation to purchase a coveted new gaming console or bicycle.
If you want to contribute funds to a child's future in honor of her confirmation but don't necessarily want your contribution to lead a new video game, you can present a savings bond that won't reach full value until the child enters college or is living on her own for the first time. Alternately, ask the parents if you can make a direct contribution to an existing college fund.
-
Spiritual Guidance Books
-
Confirmation marks a child's start on the path to adulthood and to growing as a teenager—a tumultuous time that's full of questions and uncertainty. Help him navigate his future with a book that speaks to this topic, particularly one with a spiritual slant, like "Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul," "So You're About to be a Teenager: Godly Advice," "The Catholic Youth Bible" or "Checklist for Life for Teens."
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
