Coming-of-Age Traditions from Around the World

Coming-of-Age Traditions from Around the World

PRESENTATION

Lesson Standards

10.1(A)

10.2(A)

10.2(B)

10.2(C)

10.3

10.4(E)

10.4(F)

10.5(C)

10.5(D)

10.9(C)

10.5(G)

What will our lesson look like?

Language Objective

Learning Intention

Success Criteria

• I will enhance my vocabulary related to cultural traditions and rites of passage.
• I will develop my critical thinking skills by analyzing cultural perspectives in written and visual texts.

I will understand how coming-of-age traditions from around the world reflect cultural values and impact individual and communal identity.

• I can identify key elements of various coming-of-age traditions.
• I can explain the cultural significance of at least one coming-of-age tradition from a specific culture.

Do Now:

Coming-of-Age Definition

Someone's coming of age is the time when that person legally becomes an adult and is old enough to vote. the time when someone matures emotionally, or in some other way. the time when something starts to become successful: the coming of age of democracy in the country.

• Write down any coming-of-age traditions you are aware of.
• Have you had any in your family? (i.e. quinceañera)

Introduction

Ursula Villarreal-Moura (b. 1978) is a writer whose essays and fiction have been widely published in literary journals from Tin House to the Nashville Review. This essay surveys coming-of-age rituals from China to Mexico, from the United States to the Amazon. Read about a mitten filled with stinging ants, a dance routine that scintillated the internet, and a host of other traditions that serve as the bridge between adolescence and adulthood. *Watch StudySync Video

Vocabulary

development

noun a natural process of growth or evolution

initiation

noun a ceremony signifying admission

soiree noun an evening party, most often held in a private house, for the purpose of conversation or music

quintessential

adjective signifying a perfect embodiment of something

recovery

noun restoration to full health

As outlined in the Unit 1 text, “The Power of the Hero’s Journey,” Joseph Campbell observed that most great heroic myths follow a common pattern. Developing what he termed the “monomyth,” Campbell outlined 12 stages of the hero’s journey that nearly all myths adhere to.

ENTRY POINT

During his or her transformative journey, a hero experiences a call to action, is encouraged by a mentor, then crosses a threshold into the adventure.

The hero faces many tests, including a difficult final battle that must be won. After the hero survives and succeeds, he or she gets a reward and is transformed into a new person. The hero then uses the experience gained from the adventure to return to the real world.

Some coming-of-age rituals mirror this “hero” experience. A young person is tested and must overcome something, only to be transformed into a more knowledgeable young adult.

Summary

Around the world, there are various rites of passage that signal entrance into adulthood. Since becoming an adult means taking on new responsibilities, many of these rights serve to test an adolescent’s fortitude. For instance, in Mali, Fulani women have to endure a slow facial tattooing process. In the Amazon, Sateré-Mawé boys prove that they are fit for manhood by undergoing a ceremony where they are stung repeatedly by bullet ants. Not all rites of passage are painful, however. The Mexican quinceañera, for instance, is a joyful celebration, and the Chinese traditions of Ji Li and Guan Li are essentially coronation ceremonies, where the young people have their hair pinned up as symbolic proof of their maturity. In the United States, getting a driver’s license or a part-time job often serve as markers of maturity—and while less ceremonious, they are no less important.

Entrance into adulthood is an important and oftentimes celebrated tradition around the world. Many coming-of-age traditions are considered joyous occasions marked by dancing and the lavishing of gifts while other adolescents are expected to provide evidence of their fortitude and bravery. Regardless of the rituals or requirements, becoming an adult frequently means welcoming new social expectations and duties. Centuries ago, many cultures prepared younger generations for marriage, war, and other significant endeavors. Depending on the society in which young people come of age now, rites of passage can still signify a young person’s maturity and their readiness to date or consider romantic relationships. The timeline for when young people leave behind childhood and join the ranks of teenagers or young adults varies from culture to culture. For some, the transition is celebrated at age eleven while in other parts of the globe, a person must turn thirteen, fifteen, or, in the case of Guan Li candidates in China, men must wait until their eighteenth or twentieth birthdays. In the United States, for many teenagers obtaining a driver’s license or a part-time job is a quintessential rite of passage. Whereas previously the teen was dependent on a parent, guardian, or friend for transportation needs, with the ability to drive comes newfound freedom—even if it requires sharing a vehicle. Similarly, an after-school or summer job is often a teen’s first taste of financial independence, one hallmark of adulthood. While many young people enjoy partaking in long-standing cultural traditions, not everyone finds these rites of passage representative of their emerging identity. For some individuals, status quo traditions serve as a reminder of times when social or cultural obligations were rarely questioned, and people behaved as was expected of them. Such rituals may be rooted in religious beliefs or strict standards regarding gender roles. Some customs have evolved with time to suit current generations, who might wish for less public pomp and circumstance.

For those who choose to celebrate, a fun time is almost guaranteed. After all, nothing confirms some joie de vivre like a boisterous party. Quinceañera The Latin American counterpart to the Sweet Sixteen celebration is the quinceañera. Quinceañeras, believed to have originated in Mexico, mark the end of a young girl’s childhood and her introduction into society as a mature young woman. Celebrated when girls are fifteen, quinceañeras are lavish soirees in which the honoree dons an extravagant ball gown. Accessories often include expensive jewelry and a tiara. Celebration festivities traditionally begin with a Catholic mass in which the young girl renews her baptismal commitment and is blessed by a priest, godparents, and her parents. Part of her shift from childhood into womanhood is marked by vows to honor herself, her family, and her religion. Festivities typically include several rounds of dancing and meals, a candle ceremony, and a toast made to the quinceañera herself. Often the price of such a celebration can range up to several thousands of dollars, with high-ticket items including the honoree’s dress and jewelry, hired photographers, live music, catered food, and an enormous cake, as well as gifts the young woman can use as she transitions into womanhood. In 2016, a Houston native named Jasmine Cortinas decided she wanted her quinceañera to be memorable for guests as well as representative of her musical tastes. While a father-daughter dance is traditionally part of the party’s events, Jasmine opted for a dance routine that incorporated contemporary music and dance styles that would challenge both her and her father’s dance skills. The result was a choreographed dance routine that went viral on YouTube and likely inspired many other young women to tailor their own celebrations to their unique tastes and personalities.

While most quinceañeras are well attended, in 2016 Rubi Ibarra’s party invitation went viral on Facebook after her father publicly posted details about his daughter’s celebration, allowing the time and location of the bash to be shared by thousands of users. While the party in the northern Mexico town of Villa de Guadalupe was intended solely for Rubi’s friends and family, over a million people from all over the world RSVPed. In total, between 20,000 and 30,000 people were reported to have attended her birthday. In addition to the party’s lineup of many rounds of catered food, and plenty of dancing and live music, it included an outdoor horse race. Tchoodi In the West Africa country of Mali, Fulani women undergo a facial tattooing process known interchangeably as tchoodi or socou-gol. In order to avoid mockery by peers and signal their readiness to marry, beginning at puberty young girls signal their bravery by allowing other women to darken their lips, mouth, and oftentimes gums with black ink. The ritual occurs while the fully conscious young girl lays on her back as older Fulani women transform her face from girlhood to womanhood. During the custom, black pigment is applied by repeatedly poking an ink-soaked scorching needle or sharp piece of wood into the young girl’s lips and the surrounding facial area. A time-consuming process, tchoodi causes profuse bleeding and swelling, which Fulani girls are expected to endure with stoicism and bravery. Such coloring is believed to highlight a girl’s smile and her white teeth, a sign of exquisite beauty and fertility in the culture. Since dark lips and a ringed mouth are considered aesthetically attractive, Fulani men are expected to marry young women who have undergone this beautification ritual. Women aren’t the only ones believed to become more attractive with pigmentation, though. In neighboring Senegal, Fulani men often undergo a similar process in which their gums are blackened. This related custom is considered both a marker of attraction as well as a sign of dental health in their community.

Recovery time for tchoodi can last up to three weeks, when young girls subsist on liquids ingested through a straw. Since bravery is an integral part of this African culture, girls are not known to shy away from the ritual. In fact, continuing the Fulani way of life and custom—known as pulaaku — is of utmost importance to the tribe and enduring tchoodi is one way in which traditions live on generation after generation. Sateré-Mawé In the Amazon, young Sateré-Mawé boys prove their readiness to become warriors by enduring an agonizing initiation known as dança da tucandeira, involving many tucandeiras or poisonous bullet ants. At age 13, Sateré-Mawé boys enter the jungle to hunt for bullet ants to use for their initiation ritual. Hundreds of bullet ants are first sedated then woven onto palm frond gloves resembling oven mitts. Ants stingers are intentionally woven pointing inward as the goal is to endure as much pain as nature intends. In preparation for the endurance test, youths have their hands and forearms covered in a black paint that is said to protect them from the inevitable stings. Sateré-Mawé boys are fitted with the mitts and subjected to the ants stinging for up to ten minutes at a time. Considered thirty times more painful than a bee sting, the pain of a bullet ant bite is sometimes likened to being shot, hence the name “bullet” ant. Ant venom causes the boys’ hands and arms to swell and it is common for the initiant to experience temporary paralysis or convulsions following the ritual. Few boys are said to cry out, as manhood among the Sateré-Mawé is defined by tolerance to agony. However, the relief of removing the mitt is short-lived as the process will be repeated up to twenty times over several months in order for the boy to prove his manhood.

Ji Li and Guan Li An ancient tradition, the Confucian coming-of-age ceremonies of Ji Li (笄禮 or hair pinning) and Guan Li (冠禮 or capping) are now experiencing a resurgence. Known as coronation ceremonies, the rituals involve both young women and young men having their hair pinned or capped as proof of their sexual maturity and readiness to marry. In China, the coming-of-age tradition Ji Li occurs for young women at age fifteen, and for young men between the ages of eighteen and twenty. The ceremony involves wearing traditional Han clothing and includes honoring Huangdi, a former emperor. Since having long, Photo of a young girl at a Ji Li ceremonyPhoto. A young girl gets her hair pinned at a Ji Li ceremony, the elder woman prepares her hair. Strong hair is considered a symbol of beauty, some young girls in China wear their hair in braids until their Ji Li ceremony. The initiation involves honorees having their hair washed, parted, and pulled into a knot or bun. The gathered hair is then held tight with pins made of wood, jade, or gold. Modern-day Ji Li celebrations are community affairs with groups of girls publicly taking vows of adulthood. Prior to Guan Li, a young man is required to select a guest of honor to perform the ceremony, typically a teacher, and another guest to cap him. During the ritual, the honoree is presented with a cap and scarf. In the presence of his family, his hair is pulled into a bun and he is capped by his chosen assistant after which the young man delivers a speech. Given the importance of respect, the honoree bows and kneels throughout the ceremony to his teacher and parents, and listens as they offer advice and usher him into the next stage of his development. Part of the coronation ceremony for Ji Li and Guan Li includes honorees receiving a courtesy or style name that replaces their birth name and welcomes them as adults with new responsibilities. Style names may be self-selected by the honoree or chosen by a mentor, teacher, or parent.

Celebrating the Transition From Child to Adult Youths across the globe embrace passage into adulthood in a variety of styles and manners. All the traditions discussed—quinceañera, tchoodi, dança da tucandeira, and Ji Li and Guan Li—involve participation from parents, mentors, or community members. Often, traditions can be modernized to reflect contemporary styles or attitudes as evidenced by Jasmine Cortinas’ choreographed father-daughter dance. Other times preserving traditions for decades is a sign of respect and unwavering dedication to one’s ancestors, as in the case of tchoodi. Sometimes the journey from childhood to adulthood happens without much fanfare. Gaining the right to vote and to enlist in the military are two long-standing American rites of passage that occur when a teen turns eighteen. Exercising the right to vote imbues an individual with a political voice and the potential to shape far-reaching legislative policies. Likewise, joining the the military is an opportunity to demonstrate patriotism through service to our country. Both these coming of age traditions acknowledge increased expectations that accompany mature citizenship. All rites of passage, whether private or public, near or far, serve as important milestones for generation after generation. *Watch StudySync TV