7.2: Rites of Passage

Rituals also signify transition from one phase in life to another; these are known as rites of passage, and the world's major religions recognize the the Absolute, the Holy is present at these moments.

Birth is the first rite of passage, as one leave the mother's womb and enters into the world. Of interest, some birth rituals are a requirement for followers of a religion, such as male circumcision, for Judaism. Birth rites may not always be performed at birth; some are performed during infancy or near its end and sometimes physically marking the child. Many birth rites are associated with blood and/or water, as well as pain. This is meant to recreate within the participant the act of birth, representing one's mother's experience when she gave birth: blood, water, and pain were all present.

Religions also observe coming of age rites that guide young people from their childhood to adulthood and serve to initiate them in this new stage of life. There are marked by an initiation rite, which may be the crowning of a long and complex preparation, sometimes in retreat. These are generally held when the participant reaches puberty, and the body transitions from the body of a child to that of an adult. After undergoing the coming of age rite, the individual is recognized as an adult by the community. Of interest, coming of age rites are losing their importance in our global age as they are being replaced by secular rituals, such as receiving one's driver's license or a Sweet Sixteen birthday party.

Case study: Bar and Bat Mitzvah

Bar Mitzvah, for boys, and Bat Mitzvah, for girls, are Jewish coming of age rituals. Bar (רַב (is a Hebrew word literally meaning "son," while bat (תַב (means "daughter." Mitzvah (הָוְצִמ (means "commandment" or "law." Thus bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah literally translate to "son of commandment" and "daughter of commandment."

Reading from Torah is part of the ritual

According to Jewish law, when Jewish boys become 13 years old, they become accountable for their actions and become a bar mitzvah. A girl becomes a bat mitzvah at 12, according to Orthodox and Conservative Jews, and at 13, according to Reform Jews. Many congregations require pre-bar mitzvah children to attend a minimum number of prayer services at the synagogue, study at a Hebrew school, take on a charity or community service project, and maintain membership in good standing with the synagogue. Prior to reaching bar mitzvah, the child's parents hold the responsibility for the child's actions. After this age, the boys and girls bear their own responsibility for Jewish ritual law, tradition, and ethics, and are able to participate in all areas of Jewish community life. Traditionally, the father of the bar mitzvah gives thanks to God he is no longer punished for the child's sins. In addition to being considered accountable for their actions from a religious perspective, the individual may be counted towards a minyan (prayer quorum) and may lead prayer and other religious services in the family and the community; these are activities reserved for adults. Thus, the child becomes an adult after going through this rite of passage.

Marriage is the next rite of passage and occurs when people make the transition from being single to forming a union. During the actual wedding, rituals feature prominently. Things like entering into a formal marriage contract, the exchanging of vows and rings, and the giving of gifts may be some of the rituals that take place. It is quite often only the bridal couple and the officiating pastor who are actively involved although in some traditions close relatives also play an important role.

Weddings, in fact, show us how persistent religious rituals can be. People who long ago stopped believing in a religion may still look for a priest or minister to marry them. Even if they do not use a religious official to perform the actual ceremony, the order of events in the wedding, for instance, walking down the aisle, kissing the bride, are a shadow, a memory of the religious ritual it used to be.

Hindus cremating their dead on the Ganges River

As with birth, all major world religions recognize the Holy, the Absolute is present at death. Deathrites include the many rituals involved and address care and burial of the deceased, as well as care of the living family members and friends.

Some faiths administer death rites to those who are mortally injured or terminally ill. The idea of separating from a loved one is prominent before, during, and after funerals. Added to the idea of the funeral rituals, is also the idea that after this event has been properly experienced and the rituals properly performed, the persons concerned should be re–integrated in society so that life can go on.