<P> First Communion is a ceremony in some Christian traditions during which a person first receives the Eucharist . It is most common in the Latin Church tradition of the Catholic Church, as well as in many parts of the Lutheran Church and Anglican Communion . In churches that celebrate First Communion, it typically occurs between the ages of seven and thirteen, often acting as a rite of passage . </P> <P> Catholics believe this event to be very important, as the Eucharist occupies a central role in Catholic theology and practice . </P> <P> First Communion is not celebrated in the Eastern Orthodox churches, the Oriental Orthodox churches, or the Assyrian Church of the East, as they practice infant communion (which often is simultaneously administered with infant baptism and confirmation). Some Anglicans allow infant communion, while others require the previous reception of confirmation, usually during the teenage years . </P> <P> Celebration of this ceremony is typically less elaborate in many Protestant churches . Catholics and some Protestants believe that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist, although only Catholics and some Anglo - Catholics of the Anglican Communion believe this is through transubstantiation . </P>

What is the purpose of the first holy communion