Malaga families set to save on holy communions

HOLY COMMUNION season is upon us, and some Malaga families are cutting back on costs.

Despite the Federation of Independent Users and Consumers reporting that the price of communions fell 10 per cent this year, the average celebration will cost some €2,700.

Most children take their First Communion at the age of 10, and depending on the number of children in each town, celebrations can be seen every Sunday from approximately the end of April until the end of June, although sometimes they can last into August.

For most families, this is an important event and the celebrations after the ceremony are comparable to a wedding banquet.

Approximately 250,000 communions are held every year in Spain, and Malaga is one of the provinces where most is spent, beaten only by Madrid, Comunidad Valenciana and Cataluña.

The Spanish average is €2,125, and the Andalucian average, €1,700.

The main expense, which accounts for more than half of this quantity, is the banquet, with menus costing between 30 and 60 euros per person on average.

Not surprisingly, more and more families are deciding not to have a banquet at a restaurant, and instead preparing the food themselves.

One of the most important elements is the outfit, which is the traditional white dress, similar to a miniature bridal gown for girls, and a sailor suit for boys.

The dress can cost up to €300 and the suit between €90 and €120, plus the accessories which come to around €220 for girls and €150 for boys. Haircuts and styling are between €10 and €15.

With such prices, and adding to this, photo and video services, commemorative gifts for guests and entertainment, which can cost between €200 and €600 in total, it is not surprising that some families get in to debt for their child’s communion.

This is not including hair, make-up, clothes, quality gifts for the child, hotel stays, travel, and other expenses which relatives may need to take into account.

In the past few years, there has also been a growing tendency to take a family holiday to destinations such as Disneyland Paris which can put the budget up by more than €2,000.

By Jennifer Leighfield

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Euro Weekly News Media

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