The+Different+Forms+of+Rites+of+Passage

Eric C. 7A English 5/21/08

In our world there are many different rites of passage whether its for religion, school, or culture. A rite of passage represents any important act or event to be able to do something at another stage of your life. A rite or passage is important because it is way to show that your are moving up in your society, being able to do something that you were not allowed to do before. In my culture one of the most important rites of passage is a Bar Mitzvah. A Bar Mitzvah is a ceremony where the child has to read a segment from the torah and write a speech about his or her portion. Bar Mitzvahs in Judaism represent the becoming of a man or woman, it represents being a contributing member of the Jewish community. In other cultures there are many other rites of passage in some Native American tribes they have a vision quest. A vision quest is a turning point in their life where they have to go into the wilderness alone to get a spiritual and life connection. On the vision quest the person is suppose to have a vision or a dream involving an animal. When the person has found him or herself they will come back to the tribe and be an apprentice of the occupation they have been directed towards. Many cultures have different rites of passage, but I think that people use these rites because at certain ages you should have some form of becoming an adult and becoming a contributing member of the community. Rites of passage are important for the community also. They are important for the community because it is a form of accepting the person into the community. Rites of passage serve a specific form for every culture and they are very important to keeping a strong community.