I heard that in USA some Orthodox parishes organize something as festive first confession in age of 7 or 8 because their peers in catholic churches have the first communion and they got outfits like those in the picture and some gifts, so the reason is that Orthodox children would not feel weird or stand-off from their friends. Anybody could confirm this?
The practice of 'first confession' does occur in some Orthodox parishes in the US and Canada in parishes with Greek Catholic roots. This was instituted as a substitute for 'First Communion' classes and celebrations with the reintroduction of infant communion. It probably has nothing to do with kids not feeling 'weird' around their Catholic friends. (Even some BCC parishes have dropped First Communion and substituted confession classes with their own re-easternization in recent years.) Traditions, even 'tainted' ones, are hard to simply flush away with a wave of the hand and pastoral prudence came up with the 'confession' class idea as a way to mollify folks.
However, the outfits in this picture appear to be more in line with a Christmas pageant or a May crowning rather than either a 'First Communion' or a first confession. Perhaps this is a Melkite Greek Catholic church picture? The woman on the left in the middle row could be a Catholic nun, I can't really tell.
