The First Holy Communion is more than a religious experience; it’s a cultural touchstone of Irish life. For a whole sector, it’s also a serious revenue generator.
Forget the dawn chorus. It’s the hum of the bouncy castle generator, the accompanying music and squeals of delight in back gardens that signal the start of summer.
For May is Holy Communion season, when the great and good invite family, friends and even clients to a gathering at home, with some turning the dial up to 11 with mini-festivals and wedding-like set-ups.
The pressure is on. A poached salmon and cakes for the kids will no longer do.
The rise of the algorithm has some parents feeling the pressure.
“It's all the talk of the school moms from the moment you go back in September,” party planner, Tara O'Connor, reveals to Home and Style ahead of her son's big day, which included many festival-inspired elements.
“It's probably one of the last parties you'll be able to organise for your kid before they hit the teenage years, where they just think ‘mom, don't be so ridiculous,’” she jokes.
While a lack of priests has extended the communion and confirmation seasons, according to Orlaith Slater, sales assistant at Party Shop in Donnybrook, Dublin 4, for the four weekends in the fifth month of the calendar year, it’s most of what the company does. Personalised balloons for the Communicant are the bare minimum.
“For families hosting at home, we generally do a personalised group of balloons and two generic arrangements.”
The school's business is also booming.
The kids and their clans go back to the school after the service for tea and cake.
Decorations can include an individual balloon for each kid, trestle tables covered in paper table cloths, paper cups and plates.
Many of the parents are pressganged into delivering the baked goods.
But it is the photo op of a balloon arch, often at the entrance to the hall where refreshments are being served, crowned with a balloon featuring the crest, the name of the school and the year, that is where you’ll find the tiger moms.
Some groups are eschewing the big palaver at home in favour of a group gathering at a nearby hotel or restaurant. For these gatherings, Party Shop produces a personalised balloon for each of the children.
These are usually already tied to their chairs when they come, helping to create a sense of occasion.
A bouncy castle is the staple of any communion celebration, says Rob Garvey of PartyZone, calling the events which run through May easily the company's biggest revenue month.
The Communion boom covers the quiet months.
“The month of May is absolutely mental,” he says.
“It's a stressful time for any business owner in this industry, because it sets you up for the year.”
He has up to 300 bouncy castles available for hire and is usually booked out by November for the following May.
Event and party hire company CaterHire's MD Gavin Divilly says that it's easily their most popular event.
“We get around 300-400 calls for communions every year,” he revealed. “You do get one or two that are very elaborate -- like small weddings, almost,” he jokes.
He suggests planning for all weathers, installing a gazebo or covered area for people, if they will not all fit comfortably in your house.
The firm also has a wide range of outdoor furniture for hire.
“By numbers, [communions] are the most popular single category,” he reveals. “We wouldn't do 300 to 400 weddings.”
In addition to the bouncy castle, Divilly has seen a spike in outdoor games such as giant Lego and Connect4.
“They're a nice add-on -- if you've got a whole group of kids, and they suit that younger age demographic.”
Caterers and buffets are how most used to feed and water family and friends.
Now food trucks are gaining in popularity, says Tara, who had a pizza van, a coffee truck that also did cocktails, and an ice cream van.
You can make cupcakes and decorate them using toppers such as this set of six for €3.15 from The Party Boutique, but don’t go overboard.
“Parents don't want a sweet treat table where the kids can get a sugar rush,” Tara counsels.
Instead, they got one thing from the ice cream van.
“It was more cost-effective too, and it played the music too, so it's pretty cool!'
'We'd be very religious, so we'd make sure it's not just about the party or the envelopes; it's about the sacrament of communion," she stresses.
"For kids, [the Communion] is a big day. If you're bringing people to your home, you want to make sure they have a good time."
