1,119. The Meal Celebrating a Bris

163:8 The practice is to make a festive meal on the day of the bris because every mitzvah that the Jews received with joy is still observed with joy, as per Psalms 119:162, "I rejoice at Your word," which we are told refers to bris milah. One who has the means to make a proper meal and "cheaps out," serving only coffee and cake, has not acted properly. If one is invited to the meal of a bris and he knows that there will be upstanding people there, he is obligated to attend. The practice is also to make a meal of fruits and drinks on the Friday night before the circumcision; this is also the meal of a mitzvah. It is customary on the night before a bris to assemble in the baby's home and to study Torah there. A small meal is served but this is not considered the meal of a mitzvah, it's just a general custom.

164:1 It's an obligation for every Israelite to redeem from a kohein any son who is the firstborn of his mother. This is done in exchange for five silver shekels in the equivalent local currency. One may give the kohein merchandise worth the proper value but not land or promissory notes. Therefore, one can not redeem his son using paper currency. The practice is to make a festive meal when fulfilling this mitzvah.