The ants are then weaved into gloves with the stingers pointed inwards. The fullest account to date of African American young people in a segregated city Coming of Age in Jim Crow DC offers a complex narrative of the everyday lives of black young people in a racially, spatially, economically, and politically restricted Washington, DC, during the 1930s. In African-American culture, death is seen as part of the "natural rhythm of life," which lessens the cultural fear around aging. Sign in to start taking action. After completion of the isolation period, the initiates return to the community as fully fledged adults and are reintegrated through a public ceremony and celebration. In the Kuria district of Kenya, 289 girls attended the first alternative rituals in the 2004-05 season, but once they returned home, all but 80 of these girls were pressured into undergoing FGC after all. Amazon. Senufo girls achieve womanhood through a ceremonial dance called the Ngoron, the steps of which can take up to six months to master, marking the culmination of the girls’ ritual training. Those who return are then baptized and become committed members of the Amish church and community, marking the end of Rumspringa (but they must do so before turning 26). 8. Islam came early to West Africa and, in most places, mixed with traditional African animistic beliefs to create a syncretic form of the religion that is quite different from its more orthodox forms. Coming-of-age rituals occur when someone who was considered a child is transformed into an adult in the eyes of society. For this reason, Karen H. Meyers writes in The Truth About Death and Dying, "African-American funerals tend to be life-affirming and to … Male circumcision is getting safer and safer. “Islam is teaching that these spirits and this energy do not exist.”, The increasing modernization and globalization of African society are also having an impact. Teens and tweens do like to spend time with family, despite what the media portrays, so these rituals can be a fun and comfortable way to reconnect the family and introduce your children to the wonderful world of adulthood. In Amish tradition, Rumspringa marks the time when youth turn 16 and are finally able to enjoy unsupervised weekends away from family. On that note, here are 13 of it the world’s most diverse coming of age traditions. At-risk African American boys between ages 11.5 and 14.5 years There are many different ways to define the expression "of age." According to WHO, “Immediate potential side effects include severe pain, hemorrhage, injury to the adjacent tissues and organs, shock, infection, urinary retention and tetanus….Long-term effects may include cysts and abscesses, urinary incontinence, psychological and sexual problems, and difficulty with childbirth.” For women who have been infibulated, severe labor complications can occur if the genitalia are not deinfibulated (opened) during delivery. By the 19th century the Arabs moved to East and Central Africa. As part of the tradition, a shaman would be called to open the lines of communication between men and animals. In African-American culture, death is seen as part of the "natural rhythm of life," which lessens the cultural fear around aging. Teens and tweens do like to spend time with family, despite what the media portrays, so these rituals can be a fun and comfortable way to reconnect the family and introduce your children to the wonderful world of adulthood. For example, within the Samburu tribe of Kenya, a bride lives with her husband until her pregnancy.… Although the girl’s mother had refused to allow her to undergo the procedure, the girl had endured relentless teasing and name-calling from her age mates and finally decided to take matters into her own hand – with tragic results. They don’t have time to bring in all those different values, those ideas for society,” says Frazier. That’s a quarter of our population who is currently making the leap to adulthood. In many parts of Central and South America, young girls celebrate their Quinceanera when they turn 15 years old. In addition, a WHO study found that babies born to mothers who had undergone FGC experienced higher death rates than those born to mothers who had not. “When you come through the initiation process, you are officially a man or woman,” says John Frazier, assistant professor of humanities at the College of DuPage. Welcome back! Boys initially begin jumping at around 7 or 8, although they are permitted to jump from a shorter tower. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/coming-of-age-alternative_b_2127311 Today, men (for ill or good) are getting married and having kids later in life. Young Maasai warriors must prove their courage by hunting lions with only a spear. Coming of age traditions are more commonly found … There may be a few unspoken "you have arrived" moments but nothing that is universally practice. Ahmadu argues that most Kono women willingly perpetuate the ritual because they see it as a way to preserve female sources of power and authority, as well as promote characteristics such as strength, tenacity, endurance and fearlessness in young women. In the past several years, dozens of South African boys have died and scores of others have been hospitalized as a result of circumcision-related infections and other complications. After the ceremony takes places, marking their transition from warrior to senior warrior, they are entitled to marry the woman of their choice. Infinitus Possibilis. By Kristina Rodulfo In certain states in Ancient Greece, such as Sparta and Crete, adolescent boys were expected to enter into a mentoring relationship with an adult man, in which they would be taught skills pertaining to adult life, such as hunting, martial arts and fine arts. “When they go through initiation they are having all sorts of problems because it doesn’t fit their lifestyles. Both coming-of-age rituals and circumcision are still widely practiced today but have frequently become separated from one another, even in places where they traditionally went hand in hand. Sign up. African dolls have two basic purposes. Modern-day rituals are common, and … While a night of sloven debauchery is perhaps an American coming of age tradition, I'd like to examine some other coming of age customs and traditions from other cultures around the world. Botched circumcisions by traditional surgeons have led to highly publicized deaths and injuries. The tradition started nearly 1200 years ago and recognizes the age when the Japanese believe youth become mature, contributing members of society (it’s also the time when they get to vote and drink). Ethiopian Coming of Age Tradition: Hamar Cow Jumping. Some parents who oppose FGC for their daughters do not see the value of the alternative rituals while others see them a an important way of bringing back many of the cultural traditions that had been disappearing. “You know it, society knows it, and you are prepared for the tasks at hand and all the different situation because you go through a training process to learn all your new roles in society.” Without undergoing initiation, a person, no matter what age, will not be considered a full adult. They drink a mixture of alcohol, cow’s blood, and milk, while also consuming large portions of meat. For some lucky teens the day is celebrated with an over-the-top party and potentially a new car, as documented on the the MTV show My Super Sweet 16. Krono girls also undergo a final trial in which they are lowered several times onto a sacred stone in a test of their virginity. The Mandinka see initiation as intimately connected to the physical act of circumcision, which, in turn, is closely related to Islam. The practice has been outlawed in many African countries, but until recently few efforts have been made to understand or change the cultural underpinnings of the practice. Extreme poverty ends with you. Among the Nkanu people of Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, specialized sculptors create masks, figures and carved panels that are used to educate initiates about symbolic meaning, appropriate and inappropriate behavior and other adult knowledge. But the age at which this happens, and how a child celebrates their rite of passage into adolescence, depends entirely on where they live and what culture they grow up in. As the name suggests, the celebration takes place on a teenager's sixteenth … Various factors – the anti-FGC campaigns, the changing influence of Islam and Christianity, political upheaval, civil war, modernization, and financial and time constraints – have all had tremendous impacts on the practice of initiation rituals. Girls spend years preparing for this day, reviewing the Koran so they can recite the final chapter before friends and family at the ceremony. They have an array of weapons testifying to their warrior courage and lack of fear. You can check out our Privacy Policy to see how we safeguard and use the information you provide us with. 2. Embarrassing or amazing, they were pivotal moments in our lives that deserve remembering. Japanese Coming of Age Tradition: Seijin-no-Hi. As a result, in many places the rituals have simply been driven underground or have been tacitly allowed to continue due to difficulties in enforcing the ban. Quinceanera: In the Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central and South American traditions, 15-year-old girls go through a semi-religious rite and celebration to mark coming of age. 3. For example: 1. The societal pressures on young girls can be intense. While this ceremony is rarely practiced today, traditionally all girls were required to complete the sunrise ceremony, also known as Na’ii’ees or the puberty ceremony, during the summer following their first menstruation. 12 Captivating Coming of Age Ceremonies From Around the World See how young women in Indonesia, Ghana, the Philippines, and more countries get inducted into adulthood. 50 years ago the average age an American man started a family was 22. While less rooted in tradition, the 16th birthday is nonetheless an important one for American youth, as it marks the time when they are legally permitted to drive a car (and with driving comes big-time freedom). For many African ethnic groups, such as the Kono of Sierra Leone and the Dogon and Bamana of Mali, genital cutting reflects traditional beliefs about gender and duality. The prevalence varies from country to country and between ethic groups and geographic regions within countries. An Igbo group of African-Americans, the Otu Umunne Cultural Organization, has attempted to reconstruct the ritual in the U.S. “Suffering is part of the development of personhood,” says Michelle Johnson, assistant professor of anthropology at Bucknell University, who has spent a decade conducting research on initiation rituals among the Mandinka people of Guinea-Bissau. For example, ritual masks were traditionally a way to connect with particular spirits.”You would harness that spirit to serve the community,” says Frazier. For the Maasai of East Africa, circumcision represents the beginning of adulthood for both boys and girls. Though some people have advocated safer, more sanitary “circumcisions” for girls as well as boys, anti-FGC activists argue that medicalization would counteract efforts to abolish the procedure. Now is the time for governments everywhere to act to ensure a healthy and prosperous future for all young people. and 4. Clitoridectomy is the most common type, accounting for up to 80 percent of cases, while an estimated 15 percent of women who have undergone FGC have been infibulated, although in Djibouti, Somalia and the Sudan an estimated 80 to 90 percent of all “circumcised” women have undergone infibulation. “What would previously have been done in that period of six months to two years they’re now doing over spring break. The most important masks represent ancestral spirit forces that are believed to sanction the initiation and protect the youths during the ritual. During the transition period, initiates learn the skills necessary to participate in society as adults. “Women I have worked with have told me, ‘To be full Muslim persons, to be full Mandinka persons, full ethnic persons, we also have to be circumcised,’” Johnson says. The ceremonies typically honor youth who have turned 20, and provide a fun opportunity to wear traditional dress. African Americans - African Americans - Slavery in the United States: Black slaves played a major, though unwilling and generally unrewarded, role in laying the economic foundations of the United States—especially in the South. African coming-of-age rituals have traditionally been seen as consisting of three main phases: separation from the community, a period of transition or liminality and reincorporation into society. For example, within the Samburu tribe of Kenya, a bride lives with her husband until her pregnancy.… The Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania have several rites of passage that carry boys into manhood. The Senufo of Ivory Coast initiate girls into the secret women’s society of Poro through a process that lasts for a period of seven or eight years. During the 4 day ceremony the girls must abide by certain rules, preventing them to wass or touch their skin, or drink from anything other than their drinking tubes. The hominid race was walked the land of Africa around 8 million to 5 million years ago. If successful, they will now be considered one of the Maza- other men who passed the test and spend the next few months supervising these events in villages throughout the Hamar territory. In some parts of China, there has recently been a resurgence of the Confucian-style coming of age ceremonies Ji Li (for girls) and Guan Li (for boys). Similarly, the male foreskin is seen as a female remnant that must be removed to make a true man. At the end of the initiation, these masks are displayed to the community. As Africa continues along the bumpy road of social change, these forces will only get stronger. Inuit Coming of Age Tradition: North Baffin Island. The coming of age tradition typically begins with a Catholic mass where the girl renews her baptismal vows and solidifies her commitment to her family and faith. An hour or so later, the ants wake up angrier than ever, and the initiation begins. In the first stage, young boys or girls are physically removed from the community and taken to the “bush,” which may be fully separate from the village or may be a special enclosure or specific building in the community. 7. While a night of sloven debauchery is perhaps an American coming of age tradition, I'd like to examine some other coming of age customs and traditions from other cultures around the world. In North Baffin Island, Inuit boys have traditionally gone out to the wilderness with their fathers between the ages of 11 and 12 to test their hunting skills and acclimatise to the harsh arctic weather. An Igbo group of African-Americans, the Otu Umunne Cultural Organization, has attempted to reconstruct the ritual in the U.S. The coming of age milestone is an important one, and can also be a difficult transition as some children are hesitant to leave childhood behind. Sierra Leonean-American anthropologist Fuambai Ahmadu, who underwent excision as part of her initiation into Bundu, the secret women’s society of the Kono people, has criticized the tendency of Western observers to view FGC as a reflection of women’s oppression by patriarchal societies. We must invest in youth because their human rights matter, because their needs matter, and because unlocking their potential is needed to create a sustainable future. There are currently 1.8 billion young people around the world. Unlike in many Western societies, where the boundary between childhood and adulthood is often blurred, traditional African rites of passage mark an unambiguous transition with an associated change of status, roles and responsibilities. A portion of the female populations of Ivory Coast, Central African Republic, Kenya, Benin, Niger, Nigeria and Tanzania also maintain the practice. “Lots of people are living in the city, and people are not as tied to the village,” Frazier points out. If your Facebook account does not have an attached e-mail address, you'll need to add that before you can sign up. In Ethiopia, some grooms-to-be have their own “bachelor party” of sorts- a rite of passage they must complete prior to being able to marry. Amazon. This demographic is largely young—53% are under the age of 35—giving them an oversized influence on the latest trends, especially with music and pop culture . Sweet sixteen (birthday) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A sweet sixteen is a coming of age party celebrating a teenager's 16th birthday, mainly celebrated in the United States and Canada. 11. Christina Nuñez 9. African dolls. The night before the ceremony the boys sleep outside in the forest, and at dawn they return for a day of singing and dancing. From San healing dances to Xhosa initiations, Hamar bull jumping to Bodi beauty pageants, there's no shortage of incredible African tribal traditions. In Japan, the second Monday of January marks a special day- the day in which 20 year olds get to dress up in their finest traditional attire, attend a ceremony in local city offices, receive gifts, and party to their hearts’ content amongst friends and family. During a ritual period of seclusion, the girls are education on such topics as sex, HIV/AIDS, interpersonal skills, problem solving, religion, FGC, peer pressure and legal rights. These complex cultural underpinnings have created a situation in which even women who say they are against the practice often perpetuate it. In order to create your account we need you to provide your email address. In 2006, a 15-year-old Kenyan girl died after trying to perform FGC on herself. Hispanic Coming of Age Tradition: Quinceanera. Vanuatu Coming of Age Tradition: Land Divers. It’s a difficult issue.” Many women are caught between wanting to end the practice and not wanting their daughters to be the odd ones out. The Apache Coming Of Age Tradition: The Sunrise Ceremony. The Sateré-Mawé, a native tribe in Brazil, hold a tradition for a young boy's 13th birthday called the Bullet Ant Initiation. For the next 10 years the boys will stay at a warrior’s camp where they learn various skills. Hernlund notes, “The main difference as far as the current status of the rituals goes is that for male circumcision there is no campaign, no laws against it, and medicalization. In any case, the bonds that develop between initiates during the period of seclusion and trial usually last a lifetime. Africans assisted the Spanish and the Portuguese during their early exploration of the Americas. For some groups, this change is so dramatic that the newly initiated aduly is given a new name and presented to the community as a different person. Data were obtained from a three-year evaluation of a youth rites of passage demonstration project using therapeutic interventions based on Africentric principles. Since 1979, a vocal movement, started by African women’s organizations and quickly taken up by health and human rights activists around the world, has been advocating for the abolition of FGC in all its forms. “The older generation sees this as a serious issue, not being able to deliver what society needs in an effective format.”, Even as many cultural aspects of initiation have fallen away, circumcision has not, and the age at which the procedure is performed has been decreasing throughout Africa. 13. The catch? “You’ve got social change that’s just wreaking havoc on traditional rituals,” Johnson reflects. The transition from girl to woman in nomadic groups in East Africa takes place in an age-old, four-day ritual in which the girls are dressed in their finest clothes and adorned with their most beautiful jewelry. As parents, it … The health risks associated with unsanitary male circumcisions in traditional, non-sterile environments have led to the increasing medicalization of the practice throughout Africa, with more and more boys being circumcised in hospitals by trained medical personnel. Looking back, we'll never forget the majesty that was prom, or the excitement of hitting the dance floor at our friends' co-ed bar and bat mitzvah parties, and why should we? The tradition goes as so: they search the jungle for bullet ants which are sedated by a leader who submerges them in an herbal solution. The purpose of these operations is to create an unambiguous gender identity. For this reason, Karen H. Meyers writes in The Truth About Death and Dying, "African-American funerals tend to be life-affirming and to … The transition period often involves various tests and ordeals, many of them painful. In Bassari culture, the climax of the Koré ritual is a duel between each new initiate and a fierce masked spirit known as Lukata. In this way, returning to their community and way of life thus is entirely their choice. Boys must endure the operation without flinching or crying out, while girls are allowed to show pain but cannot marry or bear legitimate children within Maasai society if they refuse to undergo the procedure. “They’ve told me that for an uncircumcised woman, God doesn’t hear her prayers.”, Hernlund adds, “There are a lot of people who will say that male and efmale circumcision is Islamic, but other aspects of the rituals are not Islamic. Most of the traditions that African Americans participate in come from the slave times when their traditions were the only thing they had left; rhythmic dancing, loud singing and voodoo practices are all small parts of African traditions that the slaves brought over to America when they came. Ahmadu’s research in Sierra Leone found that the period Kono girls and boys spend in the bush receiving practical, cultural and religious education has been reduced from several months or years to less than a month during school vacations. In Guinea-Bissau, Johnson says, many boys are now circumcised in the hospital at an early age. Yet, young people can’t mark their smooth transition to adulthood if they don’t have the opportunities to do so -- such as going to school or seeking employment skills. The Arabs crossed into North Africa in the 7th century AD. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 100 million to 140 million girls and women worldwide, 91.5 million of them in Africa, have undergone FGC, with another 3 million undergoing the procedure every year. The rite concludes with a coming-out ceremony in which the girls are presented to the entire community as mature adults. Bungee enthusiasts will enjoy this: in Vanuatu, a small island nation in the middle of the South Pacific, young boys come of age by jumping off of a 98-foot-tall tower with a bungee-like vine tied to their ankles, just barely preventing them from hitting the ground. A number of health risks are associated with FGC, particularly for the more severe forms of the procedure. In the Brazilian Amazon, young boys belonging to the indigenous Sateré-Mawé tribe mark their coming of age when they turn 13 in a Bullet and Ant Initiation. The Sateré-Mawé Coming Of Age Tradition: Inuit Coming of Age Tradition: North Baffin Island, Check Your Voter Registration Status With 'Just Vote' Here. This tribe in Nigeria once had a traditional coming-of-age ritual for both boys and girls. Traditionally, African rites of passage have been rites which accompany every change of place, state, social position, and age (van Gennep, 1960). Colonialism and oppression by the Christian church almost destroyed it. However, across Africa there are Islamic peoples who don’t practice female circumcision and there are non-Islamic people who do.”, For many African women, the practice is an essential part of womanhood. Send petitions, emails, or tweets to world leaders. Such rites, also called transitional rites, indicate and constitute transitions between states where transition is regarded as a process, a becoming, and even a transformation (Turner, 1987). Data were obtained from a three-year evaluation of a youth rites of passage demonstration project using therapeutic interventions based on Africentric principles. 10. During this time, they are encouraged to enjoy whatever pleasures they like, be that modern clothing or alcohol. Sweet 16: Many American families celebrate their daughter's coming of age with a "Sweet 16" party. The problem with many of these traditional rites of passage is that they have been put off further and further in a young man’s life. After undergoing these rites of passage, both sexes are prepared for the responsibilities of adulthood and are allowed and expected to participate in society in fundamentally different ways. Nowadays, however, this tradition has been extended to young girls as well, as “outcamps” are established away from the community in order for traditional skills to be passed down and practiced by the young men and women. Not a Global Citizen yet? The traditional length of seclusion varies from a period of days or weeks to several years. The average age of first menstruation, however, is 12.1 years of age. Create your own coming-of-age rituals when the old traditional ones seem outdated or don't fit your family's style. 5. In the walkabout, adolescent Aborigine boys are sent to live in the wilderness for as long … Home Christmas Traditions Coming Of Age Death Rites Festivals Folk Beliefs Food And Drink Games And Toys Lifestyle Music And Dance People Religion Strange Traditions Traditional Fashion Wedding Traditions About Contact. The clitoris is believed to be a male remnant that must be cut away to make a girl a complete woman. We offer a variety of ways to make your voice heard. Confirmation of an individual as a responsible adult within a religious comm… Traditions Regarding Pregnancy As the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are mainly of the Christian religion there are fewer ceremonies and traditions relating to childbirth and childhood, however these are prevalent in may African tribes. 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