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Cultural Rites of Passage & Explaining Each Stage Cultural rites of passage & explaining each stage GRADE 6 Name: Important Stages of Life There are some experiences in life that mark the change from one stage of life to the next. These experiences are called ‘rites of passage’. A rite is an established ceremony that takes place and may differ from one culture to another. Birth When a mother to be is pregnant, usually her family, friends and co-workers arrange a baby shower for her when they get together to celebrate the new life that is coming and bring gifts for the baby and sometimes for the mother as well. In the Jewish faith, the birth ceremony for a boy is called Brit Milah, or the Covenant of Circumcision. It is held eight days after the child is born. Sometimes there is a special ceremony, often called a Simchat Bat (The Joy of a Daughter). Families work with a Rabbi to bless and name the baby. In traditional African cultures, The rite of birth also involves a naming ceremony. Nearly all African cultures believe that the infant has come from the spirit world and is bringing unique talents and gifts to offer to the community. It is the responsibility of the family and community to discover the infant’s unique mission through consultations with a diviner and to guide him or her through their life path. The baby’s name is given after the mission is determined and it is supposed to represent the baby’s personality and life mission. In the Islamic faith, a prayer called Adhan is whispered into the baby’s ears and the each stage & explaining Rites of Passage Cultural Well-being: and Social Development 2 Personal Term 6 Grade baby is fed a teaspoon of honey so that sweetness will continue throughout their life. There is also a naming ceremony. Baptism Baptism involves water being sprinkled on a baby’s head by a church leader, or a person going into the water, such as the sea or a special pool, to be completely submerged. Then when they emerge from the water they are seen to be a new person whose sins have been washed away. In some Christian faiths, such as for Catholics, babies are baptised soon after birth. Protestant Christians are baptised later, when a child is old enough to choose their faith. This rite of passage symbolises that a person is publicly welcomed into God’s and the church’s family. © e-classroom www.e-classroom.co.za Adolescence and Adulthood GRADE 6 In Islam and Judaism and in traditional African cultures, this is the time of life when a child becomes a teenager, around 12 -13 years of age. The purpose of rites at this stage is to remind teenagers that they have a responsibility to become productive adults that are positively involved in the community. In traditional African societies, young teens are of taken away for a while to be taught the rules of adulthood by their elders and go through initiation ceremonies. In the Islamic faith, once a person begins puberty, they are required to perform salat which are the five prayers per day that Muslims are expected to pray. In the Jewish faith, there is a celebration of Bar or ‘Bat Mitzvah’ which is part of the Jewish education of a young person. A child studies Judaism and learns Hebrew. Traditionally, a family throws a party to celebrate the milestone. In Western societies, adulthood is achieved at the age of 18 or 21 and usually a party is also thrown to celebrate this, which may involves speeches about the young adult and words of wisdom from older family. Marriage This represents the joining of two people and two families so that children may be born and that the two adults will help each other through the rest of their lives to fulfil their objectives in the future. In traditional African societies, the focus is on building families and communities and a person is not truly considered to be an adult until they have married and had children. Marriage in most cultures is celebrated with a wedding ceremony and celebration. each stage & explaining Rites of Passage Cultural Well-being: and Social Development 2 Personal Term 6 Grade Death In traditional African society and also in Christian faiths, death is not seen as final, but rather a passing from the physical world to the spirit world. Muslims also believe in the after-life. In African cultures people who have died are called ancestors and are thought to communicate with the people who are still alive. Deaths are marked by burial ceremonies, funerals, memorial services and wakes where people speak of their memories of the one who has just died. For example, when a Jewish person dies, the body of the person is washed in warm water to represent cleansing and then it is dressed in a plain cloth called a shroud, and put into a simple wooden box called a coffin. The person should be buried within 48 hours. This is followed by Shiva when the people who are © e-classroom www.e-classroom.co.za mourning, visit the home of the dead person for seven days. A year after the death the mourners attend a service. Candles are lit and the tombstone is revealed. GRADE 6 Instructions Colour in the pictures above that show some of the different rites of passage celebrated in our country. Grade 6 Term 2 Personal Development and Social Well-being: Cultural Rites of Passage & explaining each stage & explaining Rites of Passage Cultural Well-being: and Social Development 2 Personal Term 6 Grade © e-classroom www.e-classroom.co.za.
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