Growing Pains

There are many ways to signify that you’re growing up. Your body starts changing, your parents start allowing you some more freedoms and responsibilities, and maybe you start doing your hair for that once-annoying boy who lives on your street. Legally, you can also start driving cars or voting. All of these are common themes when transitioning into a young adult. That said, many religions or cultures around the world also have their own rituals to help young ones prepare for adulthood, some of which you can read about right now.

Helena Lopes on Unsplash

1. Confirmation

In certain Christian denominations, confirmation is marked as a coming-of-age ceremony. Confirmation occurs at some point during your adolescence and marks a point in your life where you must become fully responsible for your faith and actions.

Ranveig on Wikimedia

2. Bar/Bat Mitzvah

Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are a common rite of passage usually occurring when a teen is 13 years old. These ceremonies include holding accountability for the faith, observing the commandments, and a reading from the Torah.

Francesco Alberti on Unsplash

3. Sweet Sixteen

Usually practiced in the United States and Canada, your sweet sixteen is usually a more widely celebrated birthday. This particular birthday is celebrated as it marks a point in your life when you can learn to drive and apply for jobs. 

bia on Unsplash

4. Quinceañera

This coming-of-age party is celebrated among Latin American cultures. Occurring on a girl’s 15th birthday, a Quinceañera is considered a transitional time when a girl becomes a woman. It usually involves a religious ceremony, a shoe ceremony, in which the quinceañera switches out her flats for heels, and the quinceañera gives a doll away to a younger sibling or other relative.

Hector Reyes on Unsplash

5. Rumspringa

Practiced in certain Amish communities, Rumspringa is a year of increased freedoms outside of traditional Amish values. Beginning at 16, teens are encouraged to explore and socialize outside of their circle. The intention is that if the young adult returns to the Amish church, they do so willingly.

it:Utente:TheCadExpert on Wikimedia

6. Bullet Ant Initiation

The Sateré-Mawé people of Brazil use these highly painful ant bites to mark a boy’s transition into manhood. A sting from a bullet ant is excruciating, but boys as young as 12 take part in this ritual. After placing his hands inside a pair of gloves and withstanding the pain, a boy is considered to be a man.

Jenny Chambers on Unsplash

7. Ukuli Bula

This three-day-long rite of passage occurs in the Hamar tribe of South-Western Ethiopia. The bull jumping ceremony requires a young boy to run across the back of 7 to 10 bulls four times without falling. If he completes this, the boy is considered a man, and the community celebrates with a dance.

Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia on Wikimedia

8. Khatam Al Koran

In this ceremony, young girls are required to memorize and recite the final chapter of the Quran to showcase their dedication and maturity. If done successfully, the young girl is considered a woman, and the family celebrates with a feast.

Rio Syhputra on Unsplash

9. North Baffin Island

In this cold coming-of-age ritual, Inuit boys as young as 11 or 12 accompany their father on a wilderness trip. This ritual is performed so boys can perfect their hunting and survival skills, and a successful return from this trip signifies that a boy is ready for adult responsibilities.

Museums Victoria on Unsplash

10. Apache Sunrise Ceremony

This four-day community ceremony marks the transition for a young girl into womanhood. It involves the girl dancing for several hours each day, as the girl temporarily becomes the incarnation of the White Painted Woman, the mother of the Apache people.

Leslie Cross on Unsplash

11. Gwan Rye

This Korean-based ceremony falls on the third Monday of May, in which 20-year-old men and women officially announce their transition into adulthood. It’s usually a large event, followed by various celebrations.

Buddy AN on Unsplash

12. Land Divers

Occurring on the Pentecost Island of Vanuatu, this rite of passage involves young boys jumping off 66 to 98-foot-tall towers with two tree vines wrapped around their ankles. If a boy successfully makes the jump, he’s thought to have the boldness of a warrior and considered a man.

Paul Stein from New Jersey, USA on Wikimedia

13. Seijin-no-Hi

This coming-of-age day is a public holiday in Japan. It’s held annually on the second Monday of January to congratulate and celebrate young adults who turned 18 between April 2 of the previous year and April 1st of the current year.

Dick Johnson from Tokyo, Japan on Wikimedia

14. Isnati Awica Dowanpi

This coming-of-age ceremony is a part of the Lakota culture, which occurs after a girl has her first menstrual cycle. This four-day ceremony involves purification rituals, communal feasting, and teachings from older women in the community.

Michael Gäbler on Wikimedia

15. Manjal Neerattu Vizha

This ceremony is celebrated by the Tamil people of South India, and also marks a girl’s transition to womanhood, occurring during her first menstrual cycle. The girl is isolated from the community for a few days, signifying her fertility and prospects for marriage. Upon returning, the girl is given a sari, and the community celebrates with a feast.

SIBY on Unsplash

16. Debut

This Philippine celebration marks a girl reaching the age of maturity, usually aligning with her 18th birthday. During this rite of passage, girls are given 18 roses, 18 candles, 18 gifts, and the party-goers participate in several traditional dances.

Manolet Santos on Unsplash

17. Festa De Mocas Nuevas

This rite of passage is performed by the Takuna tribe from Peru. Young girls must live in tents for several days while being painted 3 times a day. This exposes the girls to the demon “Noo.” If the girls successfully pass the ritual, only then are they considered women.

Another one of my pictures: This photograph was taken by Medium69 (William Crochot) and released under the license stated below. You are free to use it for any purpose as long as you credit the author (William Crochot), the Source (Wikimedia Commons) and the license (CC-BY-SA 4.0) in close relation to the image. Please do not upload an updated image here without consultation with the Author. The author would like to make corrections only at his own source RAW. This ensures that the changes are preserved.Please if you think that any changes should be required, please inform the author.Otherwise you can upload a new image with a new name. Please use one of the templates derivative or extract. on Wikimedia

18. Tchoodi

This ritual is performed among the Fulani community. It involves women in the community tattooing their lips with a black dye to mark their transition into womanhood. The process is quite painful, making the ritual a test of endurance and strength.

Ferdinand Reus from Arnhem, Holland on Wikimedia

19. Crocodile Scars

Performed by communities along the Sepik River region of Papua New Guinea, young men undergo a skin-cutting ritual to mark their transition into manhood. The raised scars resemble those of a crocodile, and the painful process represents a boy’s strength, power, and survival.

Chirag Saini on Unsplash

20. Walkabouts

This rite of passage is practiced in Australian Aboriginal culture. Boys aged 10 to 16 must leave their community for up to 6 months, surviving the wilderness and learning essential survival skills. This solitary journey also prepares the boy’s spirit, as it's meant to further one's connection to the land.

Gabriele Delhey on Wikimedia