The big day is here! Your teen has been preparing for Confirmation for what seems forever. Now is the time to celebrate! You’re probabably been on the lookout for good Confirmation celebration ideas.
Today, that is what we’re covering. I’ll be covering a few ideas to recognize your teenager and make them feel special on their Confirmation day.
First, to set the stage, Confirmation is a sacrament in the Catholic church, and a special ceremony in Lutheran churches.
According to Folkekerkin, “Confirmation is not a sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church but a rite that also marks the passage from childhood to youth.” Even better, Living Lutheran calls it “an age when young people are in a time of discovery.”
Regardless of the specific faith, it is ultimately recognized as a coming of age event (even though it’s not labeled as such).
This is the time when the teen’s church recognizes them as adults in the faith community. It also means that mom and dad and other key adults in the teen’s life start treating them as an adult.
Just in the way the teen had participated in a church rite, complete it by recognizing the teen with a Confirmation celebration that shows respect and acknowledgement of the event.
Table of Contents
- Ways to celebrate Confirmation
- Celebrating Confirmation with a special meal out
- Celebrating Confirmation with a party
- Dressing for Confirmation day: “code” for personal grooming
- What to wear to a Confirmation
- Conclusion
Ways to celebrate Confirmation
Celebrating confirmation is a special and joyous occasion in many cultures. Here are some common ways to celebrate confirmation:
- Attend a special church service: Many people celebrate Confirmation by attending a special church service, where the person being confirmed may receive blessings and support from the congregation.
- Family gathering: It is common to celebrate Confirmation with a family gathering or dinner. This can be an opportunity for loved ones to come together and celebrate the Confirmation with food, drinks, and good company.
- Gifts: Giving Confirmation gifts is a common way to celebrate confirmation. Family and friends may give the person being confirmed meaningful gifts such as religious items, books, or keepsakes to commemorate the occasion, along with a well-chosen Confirmation card and a special Confirmation wish.
- Special activities: Some people choose to celebrate confirmation by engaging in special activities such as going out for a meal, taking a trip, or participating in a meaningful activity that holds significance for the person being confirmed.
- Commemorative gestures: Creating a commemorative gesture, such as a scrapbook, photo album, or video montage, can be a heartfelt way to celebrate confirmation and capture memories of the special day. A memory box is a nice gift to contain letters received from the Confirmation retreat (also known as Palanca or Kairos retreat letters).
Remember, the most important aspect of celebrating Confirmation is to honor the significance of the occasion and show support and love for the person being confirmed.
Celebrating Confirmation with a special meal out
I was not interested in buying religious articles for my kids that they wouldn’t appreciate. I wanted to give them an experience. My husband and I decided that we would take each of our children to the nicest white-tablecloth restaurant.
We donned our best clothes in preparation for the dinner celebration. Dressing up is very important, especially as our culture becomes too relaxed with etiquette. Upholding these rituals of dressing nicely acknowledges outwardly, and to ourselves, the importantance of this life event.
A Confirmation dinner for us meant no tag-along brother or sister, they had to stay home. This is an opportunity for your teen to have one-on-one conversation with mom and dad. It doesn’t have to be uncomfortable. I would even label this event an “adventure in discovery” (to borrow the Lutheran idea from earlier).
Encourage the Confirmandi to order something off of the menu that they’ve never tried before: lobster, escargot, frog legs! Throw in some exciting appetizers! The food becomes the topic of conversation, relaxing both parents and child, paving the way for real conversation.
Every single one of my children loved this. The younger ones couldn’t wait until it was their turn. Which kid (excuse me, “young adult”) wouldn’t want extra attention from mom and dad?
Celebrating Confirmation with a party
The families that I know of tend to keep the celebration small. The church, itself, probably has a reception afterwards. If extended family are already at the church event, they will likely attend the reception as well.
Some families may be good with ending the celebration here. Other families may invite their guests back to their home for further celebrations. I grew up in the tradition of fantastic Confirmation cakes – cakes that always had the teen’s name piped on, with the date (Confirmation wasn’t official until the cake came outm lol!).
I chose to invite the grandparents, along with the Confirmation sponsor and their family to my home for a small gathering. Not everyone has family around that can pull off a larger Confirmation party.
Every detail of the Confirmation Day sends signals: this event is important, this person receiving Confirmation is worthy. Let’s acknowledge the day by showing up, being respectful, and acting like adults ourselves.
If you want this gathering to feel more special, add some balloons and decorations. The last thought I want to share is that the Confirmation celebration doesn’t have to happen on the same day as the church event.
Regardless, I urge you to find a way to emphasize to your teen that they are special, and the event is important.
Dressing for Confirmation day: “code” for personal grooming
I apologize that my inner mom has to come out. Teens are teens and their bodies are changing – this is more than a religious event.
This could be the first time the teen has a nice dress or suit or high heel shoes they will be wearing. Outfitting teens into more formal attire is a rite of passage for the parents. Try, that’s all I can say is try to step up your game and walk your teen through this.
Not all kids will care about a Confirmation dress or Confirmation suit. Expect pushback, but hang in there. Confirmation church events always look like everyone tried really hard to look their best.
If the Confirmation event is set for spring, lighter colors and pastels would be appropriate. Some churches schedule Confirmation for fall, so plan your color theme accordingly. Semi-formal, modest attire is appropriate (or as one forum put it, “don’t wear anything that would cause someone to stumble” – as in too short of dress, and too plunging of neckline).
Gone are the days of wearing all white (guys included). There is no rule about not wearing a black dress, as long as the girl is dressed respectfully. The Confirmation director should indicate clear dress guidelines, such as: no jeans, no flip-flops, no sneakers/trainers/tennis shoes.
If you’re still puzzled what to wear for Confirmation, take a cue from Confirmation photos or a Confirmation event you have attended. Scan the crowd to see what the other Confirmandi are wearing. In some faiths, robes will be provided that cover the dress clothes. Overall, the Confirmation group usually receives high marks for good personal presentation (thanks moms and dads!).
Looking nice includes haircuts and hair styling. Splurge for an extra-nice haircut. Explore ideas for nice Confirmation hair styles for girls. Shop for a beautiful hair barette to match a girl’s outfit. Do some practice walking in any shoes with a heel!
A girl’s first foray into makeup might be now (my best advice is to start light). What a bonding moment for a mother to show her daughter how to apply makeup or walk in heels, or a dad to show a son how to tie a tie!
It’s funny how dressing your kid up makes you really look at them in a different light. You may suddenly realize that your child’s whole wardrobe is in need of improvement!
This age also aligns with learning personal grooming habits: shaving, blemish care, odor control! Crazy, isn’t it? Who ever thought Confirmation was really code for “a personal care” event. Well, I think so and millions of other moms out there!
What to wear to a Confirmation
For parents and guests wondering what to wear to a Confirmation, please dress up! No, you won’t get kicked out of the church if you wear jeans. Will there be snooty people looking down their nose that you’re not dressed appropriately? Probably not.
Then where is my advice coming from? Restating from earlier, we must act like adults ourselves, and give the event the respect it deserves.
How we dress is a gift and a sign of respect to the church, to the family, and to the Confirmandi. This is a hot button for me (I could be one of those snooty people!). This dress down culture is disintigrating the very heart of our customs. I whole-heartedly believe that our outward actions can chip away at the ability to have a strong family unit.
This isn’t like the old days, where everyone wore a suit to church. I am fully aware that most men don’t own suits, suits are expensive, I get it. A nice shirt with a collar and a tie is within every man’s reach. So are slacks that are not jeans (we can slide on the shoes, because they can be expensive, too).
Women, holes in jeans doesn’t look good for a formal event. I’ll be the momma you never had, stop doing it. If you can afford over-priced ripped jeans you can afford a nice outfit for this religious event. Any thrift store will have you smartly dressed for a couple of dollars.
Speaking of dressware, dresses are not necessary. Women can look good in slacks and a blouse. Dresses should not be too short (and “dress shorts” should not be worn). Wear modest clothes. For some, this includes covering the shoulders. Cleavage should not be a distraction; you are taking away from the Confirmandi’s event (I can’t believe I have to say any of this, but apparently, it needs to be said).
Give this religious event, and any event in a church the respect it deserves. It speaks loads of your character.
Conclusion
Confirmation is an important life event. Setting the stage by dress, food, and celebration sends strong signals to the teen that they are important and being acknowledged on their special day.
The best Confirmation gift? Treating your Confirmandi as an adult!
