Many African cultures share the same structure to their coming of age process. Within this time frame, they are taught the ways of society including mannerisms, religious teachings, seduction, and law. For the new women of society, they must undergo “female circumcision”. Adolescences are isolated from their homes, family and friends, for weeks, to months at a time. For the past 20 years, “The World Health Organization” has been trying to promote different types of rituals to avoid such a dangerous and taboo procedure. This can be broken down into three different procedures, “clitoridectomy”, “excision”, and “infibulation”. This process is called “na’ii’ees”. Apache boys and girls, when they come of age would undergo a four day ritual to achieve their adulthood. The coming of age in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Ukraine, the Republic of Poland and the Scandinavian Countries are celebrated at either 18 or 21. As the age of legal majority, being 18 legally enables one to vote, purchase tobacco and alcohol (wine in Norway), get married without parental consent and sign contracts. In comparison, turning 21 has few legal effects (except Poland & Ukraine, where all the laws are applied after 18). Eighteenth or twenty-first birthday celebrations typically take the form of an extravagant party; presents given are often higher than usual value, and champagne may be served, as at other formal celebrations. For the women, it is a grueling task involving multiple hours of dancing, prayer, and lessons of self esteem, sexuality, and healing. Drinking plays a large part in 18th birthdays, as it is the age where one can legally purchase alcohol. As such, many 18th birthdays are celebrated with a large party with friends, with drinking as a central motif. Despite 18 being the legal age of adulthood, most do not immediately take on the roles of adult, such as moving out of home or gaining full-time employment, instead studying or working as an apprentice. There are few set ceremonies or rituals to be observed, although if the celebrant is a male he may be challenged to consume a yard glass which is typically full of beer. Historically, the Confucian coming of age ceremony has been the “Guan Li” for men and the “Ji Li” for women. At New Zealand and Australian 21st birthdays, it is customary for family members to assemble embarrassing photos, videos or other childhood memorabilia to display at a celebration and for a good friend to give an equally embarrassing speech. These ceremonies are now rarely practiced in China, but there has been a resurgence, especially from those who are sympathetic to the Hanfu Movement. The age is usually around 20 and during the ceremony, the person obtains a style name. In some Latin American countries, when a woman reaches the age of 15, her relatives usually organize a very expensive celebration. It is usually a large party, called a Quinceañera in Spanish speaking countries and Baile de Debutantes in Brazil. Girls’ 16th Birthdays are traditionally called Sweet Sixteens. In the United States and in Canada, when a child reaches the age of 16 he or she is allowed to drive and sometimes receives the responsibility of owning their own car. Depending on the family’s religion or family background, there may be a ceremony signifying their coming of age. The quintos were the boys of the village that reached the age of eligibility for military service (18 years), thus forming the quinta of a year. In Spain during the 19th century, there was a civilian coming of age bound to the compulsory military service. In the days before their departure, the quintos knocked every door to ask for food and drink. In rural Spain, the mili was the first and sometimes the only experience of life away from family. They held a common festive meal with what they gathered and sometimes painted some graffiti reading “Vivan los quintos del año” as a memorial of their leaving their youth. By the end of the 20th century, the rural exodus, the diffusion of city customs and the loss of prestige of military service changed the relevance of quintos parties. In some places, the party included the village girls of the same age, thus becoming less directly relevant to military service. Years later, the quintos of the same year could still hold yearly meals to remember times past. In others, the tradition was simply lost. Since 1948, the age of majority in Japan has been 20; persons under 20 are not permitted to smoke, drink, or vote. At the ceremony, all of the men and women participating are brought to a government building and listen to many speakers, similar to a graduation ceremony. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the government gives the new adults money. Kovave is a ceremony to initiate Papua New Guinea boys into adult society. Coming-of-age ceremonies, known as seijin shiki, are held on the second Monday of January. It involves dressing up in a conical hat which has long strands of leaves hanging from the edge, down to below the waist. The name Kovave is also used to describe the head-dress. During the feudal period, the coming of age was celebrated at 15 for noblemen. In Bali, the coming of age ceremony is supposed to take place after a girl’s first menstrual period or a boy’s voice breaks. Nowadays, the age is 18 for girls and 20 for boys. However, due to expense, it is often delayed until later. The upper canines are filed down slightly to symbolize the effacing of the individual’s “wild” nature. In the rite of initiation of Baka Pygmies, the Spirit of the Forest ritually kills the boys to propitiate their rebirth as men. He became a member of a baka patrilinear clan and completed his trans-cultural coming of age. The Monday of the third week of May is “coming-of-age day”, a recent tradition influenced by Western culture. The Italian anthropologist Mauro Campagnoli took part in this secret rite of men’s initiation in order to better understand its meaning. On that day, those entering adulthood are to receive three gifts: flowers, perfume and a kiss. There has been a traditional coming of age ceremony since before Goryeo dynasty, but it has mostly disappeared. When boys or girls are between the ages of fifteen and twenty, boys wear gat, a Korean traditional hat made of bamboo and horsehair, and girls do their hair in chignon with binyeo, a Korean traditional ornamental hairpin. In the Philippines, a popular coming of age celebration for 18 year-old women is the debut. The débutante traditionally chooses for her entourage “18 Roses”, who are 18 special men or boys in the girl’s life such as boyfriends, relatives and brothers, and “18 Candles”, who are the Roses’ female counterparts. Each presents a rose or candle then delivers a short speech about the debutante. It is normally a formal affair, with a strict dress code such as a coat and tie for the upper-middle and upper classes, and usually has a theme or color scheme that is related to the dress code. The Roses sometimes dance with the débutante before presenting their flower and speech, with the last being her father or boyfriend. Filipino men, on the other hand, celebrate their debut on their 21st birthday. Other variations exist, such as 18 Treasures (of any gender; gives a present instead of a candle or flower) or other types of flowers aside from roses being given, but the significance of “18” is almost always retained. There is no traditionally set program marking this event, and celebrations differ from family to family. Both men and women may opt not to hold a debut at all. There are also various Religious festivals worldwide that mark the passage of child to adult.
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