Rites Of Passage: Introduction To Cultural Anthropology

“The History of Rites of Passage” Stacey M. Robertson ANT101: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology July 29, 2013

We are all familiar with the term “Rite of Passage” in one way or another. But do we really know some of the extremes that people in other countries go to in order to achieve that coveted goal that most have waited so long for? Rites of passage can range from a simple Baptism all the way to Sepik scarification, depending on the part of the world, religion and tribes, and even gangs. This paper will explain some of the history behind Rites of Passage and why they are so important for some people to achieve them. Ceremonies that mark important transitional times in one’s life, such as birth, graduation, marriage, bar mitzvahs, quinceaneras, and death just to name a few. Rites of passage usually involve ritual trials and teachings intended to strip individuals of their original roles and prepare them for new roles. Rites of passage can be coming of age, religious, academic, military, professional, and cultural. People in tribes and certain societies take these rituals very seriously and most go through tremendous amounts of pain
to prove themselves worthy to reach that next status. For most, it is all about the respect of their people and the dignity of their family. Now of course there are some of the more harsh rituals such as Vanuatu Land Diving where boys as young as five jump from heights up to 100 feet with twine around their ankles. The goal is to only touch their shoulders to the ground and any miscalculation could end in serious injury or death. (Feb. 2010) Doing this successfully will lead them into manhood. However, different societies have different rites when it comes to conquering childhood. (May 2010) In the Jewish society a boy becomes a man at a celebration called a Bar Mitzvah at the age of thirteen. Similarly, a Jewish girl will have her Bat Mitzvah at the age of twelve to enter womanhood. The Catholic religion has The Seven Sacraments and they include a popular rite of passage which is Baptism. Several other religions have this as well. The Catholics also perform what is called a First Communion usually around the age of seven or eight. They receive “The Body of Christ” in a ceremony held in the Catholic Church. In yet another rite of passage in the Mexican community there is a quincinera. This is a celebration held in honor of a fifteen year old Mexican girl in order to transcend her into womanhood. The Godmother of the girl traditionally presents the girl with a gift like a Bible or a last doll, etc. In America, sometimes these entrances into adulthood are not so elaborate, other than a sweet sixteen party. Some just go through life not even having an event to mark that day when they officially “grew up”. Maybe they remember a day when someone asked them for identification at the market or when the lady at the bank called the boy ‘sir’. Whatever our background, location, race, creed, religion, or education, we have all gone through at least one rite of passage at one point or another. In some families it is very important for the child to go through these rites, sometimes whether they want to or not, because in certain tribes it would bring shame to the family of the child if the ritual is not completed. A harsh example of a ritual that a child might not want to go through but will go through is Sepik scarification, as previously mentioned. Although scarification is practiced all over the world, it is practiced in quite a unique way by the tribesmen of Papua, New Guinea. They take razorblades and they carve out little scale like patterns all over their boys back, neck, and buttocks. They say it is to symbolize the alligator devouring what is left of the boy inside them. This ritual makes it excruciatingly painful for the boy to even move for an extended period of time. However, they know in the long run that it will be worth it to them because they will be seen throughout the village as a man. They wait their whole lives to gain that respect. Rites of passage have been around for years and will continue to be around for years to come, and maybe even some new ones will come around. As long as there is religion and family tradition there will always be rites of passage and I think that they are an important part of our society as a whole. They are not only important in America but in other countries all over the world as well. All over the world young men and women look forward and prepare for that day when they can call themselves a man or a woman and be seen that way in the eyes of their society or tribes. However getting there is not as easy as it may seem. There are rituals known as rites of passage in some areas of the country that to us, seem barbaric, unbelievable, and for lack of a better word; gross. But just as we expect them to be respectful of our traditions, we should be respectful of theirs as well. Now some rituals that may seem horrific to us might be the lip stretching, neck rings, or the homemade skin burnings. Although, to a percentage of you that is starting to be the norm in the ‘underground scene’ right here in America. When we think of about rites of passage, most often thoughts that come to our mind are ceremonies like birth, puberty and marriage. Rites of passage are things we experience during our entire lifetime from the beginning to the end. These things, however, are different from initiations because an initiation is something where you have to prove yourself in order to be accepted, but a rite of passage is about a more personal acceptance into your own life. Common rites of passage here in America are Baptism, First Communion (Catholicism), Bar Mitzvahs (Judaism), Marriage, childbirth, graduation, and death among many others. Many agree that the rite of marriage should be taken more seriously than what it is but this article is not meant to judge, just inform. The point is that there are hundreds if not thousands of rites of passage ranging from country to country that only a specialist in this field could even come close to a number as to how many there are. Rites of Passage hold an extremely important place in the world and in our hearts not only because they usher us into a new part of our life, but because they make memories that are burned into our hearts and minds for years to come, stories that we will be able to tell our grandchildren. We are very lucky to have them. There is a little boy who has a rite of passage coming up in three weeks called the first day of school and I am quite sure that it will upset the mother more than it will upset the child but that is the way it has gone for centuries. So do not look at a rite of passage as a sad thing, but as a happy occasion to celebrate and make more memories to add to the ones you already have. Whether you are becoming a man or a woman, it is the most important thing in your life to be seen in your society as a grown adult and to be able to make grown decisions and possibly get married.
In conclusion, no matter what your rite of passage is, many have learned that the most fun of it all is the looking forward to it, because once it is over, it just happens so fast and all you have is pictures (if you even have
that).

References:
Meyerhoff, M. K. (2006). Rites of passage. Pediatrics for Parents, 22(4), 8-9. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/200479597?accountid=32521
Coy, R. (2010, May 06). Exploring different rites of passage. The Charleston Gazette. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/250960153?accountid=32521
Loeffler, W. (2008, Jul 13). Different cultures have different rites of passage. McClatchy - Tribune Business News. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/464719774?accountid=32521
Fishman, J. (Jan 2013) Ten Bizarre Rites of Passage From Around the Worldhttp://www.mandatory.com/2013/01/04/10-bizarre-rights-of-passage-from-around-the-world/6