Question of the Week: Explaining First Communion to Non-Catholics

Our Question of the Week was originally posted on our Facebook page by reader Sunny:

As a Catholic, how can we describe the importance of First Communion to a non-Catholic? We had a whole weekend planned for our daughter (the First Communicant) and my family. We are getting grief because we can not attend a b-day party because she will be at a First Communion retreat and then we will have a party to celebrate her Communion where we plan to give her her gifts, dress, veil, etc. Can someone shed some light on explaining the importance of this event to a non-Catholic, devout Christian, just not Catholic. I would appreciate it. I am kind of at a loss without being ugly.

Please share your answers and experiences in the comment box below.