Rites+Around+the+World

Gabi R. =Rites Around the World= A rite of passage is a ceremony or celebration where someone is maturing. Two examples of rites of passage are weddings and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. A wedding is a ceremony celebrating the love of two people. A Bar/Bat Mitzvah is a ceremony and celebration of a Jewish boy or girl when they turn 13 and essentially they become a “son of a commandment”. However, these are not the only rites of passage in the world. Other religions and cultures have rites of passage, too. In Spanish speaking parts of the world fifteen-year-old girls celebrate their Quinceanera; this celebration is similar to a sweet sixteen. The Quinceanera celebration is commanded to be a unique and special birthday. In many parts of the world such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States eighteen-year-old girls of the upper class throw a debutante ball; a debutante ball is also called a becoming of age party. The woman to show the community that she has matured throws the party. Another rite of passage in the world is called a prom and is held at the end of the school year in high schools across the United States and the United Kingdom. It is a format dance where boys dress in tuxedos and ask girls, who wear fancy dresses, if they would like to be there prom dates. One last rite of passage celebrated all around the world is a graduation. This could be from preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school, or college. There are many other rites of passage from other cultures, but these are just a few. Most religions also celebrate rites of passage as well. Two of the earliest rites of passage a person can go through are circumcision and baptism. Circumcision is a ceremony for a newborn male in Judaism and Islam. The ceremony is called a Bris or a Brit Milah in Hebrew and is done after the baby boy is eight days old. Baptism is a ritual observed by Christians where the infant is cleansed in a holy bath. This shows that they are a part of the Church and accept that Jesus is the Savior. Confirmation is another rite of passage made by Christians. It is when a teenage boy or girl recites a mature saying of faith. Shinbyu is a rite of passage done by Theravada Buddhists. Shinbyu is a ceremony where Buddhist boys learn and study the “legacy of the Buddha” for as little or as long as they like. One last interesting rite of passage carried out by Native Americans is called a vision quest. A vision quest is a time period before puberty for boys and girls to help them find themselves and seek guidance form within. These rites of passage are very highly respected and are completed with admiration.    These rites of passage are used all over the world because it is part of tradition. Rites of passage such as these have been celebrated for hundreds of years. They are an important part of our community because they honor and celebrate people’s milestones in life, mostly adolescence. They show people that you are growing up and can accept more responsibility. Without rites of passage no one would have anything to look forward to as we get older. This is why rites of passage are just as important in out world as they are in Jonas’s. 