.aking your Holy Communion or your Confirmation in
the fifties and sixties was a big affair. For many kids,
it was the only time of the year they would get new clothes
or a treat. Going shopping for new clothes was a very special
occasion, though some kids had to make do with hand-me-
downs. Times were tough for families, and unemployment,
poverty and tenement life, along with the struggle to raise a
family on one wage or strike pay, meant Holy Communions
and Confirmations put a financial strain on parents. Many
people turned to money lenders to get their child a nice outfit,
while others paid off weekly for months before the big day.
Many women who worked in sewing factories hand-made their
If both your parents were unemployed, very often the St
Vincent de Paul would help out to ensure every child had an
outfit. The pawn shop was the place where many a man’s suit