The transition from childhood to adulthood is what’s known as the coming of age. It is acknowledged in various cultures around the world, although the specific age varies. This transition may be a simple legal matter, or it can be part of a ritual, often associated with a particular religion or spirituality. Historically, the age of this transition was connected to puberty in some cases and the age of religious responsibility in others. Coming-of-age rituals usually involve a ceremony or event that confirms the transition. Some of the more well-known examples of these are the bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs of Judaism, confirmation in Catholicism, and water baptism in Protestant denominations. Let’s look at coming-of-age rituals in other religions.
Buddhism
In Theravada Buddhism, young men under the age of 20 participate in a Burmese ceremony called Shinbyu. This ceremony marks their initiation into the temple as novice-level monks called samanera. These samanera stay at the monastery anywhere from three months to three years, although most stay for an average of three months.
During this time, these young men experience the typical lifestyle of Buddhist monks, practicing celibacy, voluntary poverty, nonviolence, and daily fasting. The samanera will learn Buddhist chants, recitations, ethics, and other meditative practices. After this period, each man decides whether to stay and become a fully ordained monk or return to life as a layperson. Men who have completed this ritual are often viewed as “marriage material” or ready for family life.
Hinduism
According to some Hindu traditions, the coming of age means that a person is old enough to understand familial and societal responsibilities. Upanayana is a ceremony wherein boys begin formal education in reading, writing, math, arts, and the study of six Buddhist disciplines referred to as Vedangas. This ceremony usually involves a boy, his family, and the teacher. During Upanayana, the boy receives a sacred thread that he wears for the duration of his education. This rite is analogous to baptism in that participants are born again into spiritual knowledge. It represents the “second birth” to some Hindu adherents.
Ifá or Yoruba Religion
In the traditional faith of the Yoruba people from West Africa, also known as Ifá, men and women go through various initiations to join the faith. The purpose is to serve one of the many spirits that honor the Orisha Olodumare, the Yoruban concept of the Almighty God. These various rituals usually take place at the age of puberty, involving study and meditation on guiding principles, very similar to the concept of enlightenment in Buddhism. Similar initiations are observed in other syncretic faiths that descend from Ifá, such as Vodou and Santeria.
The Amish
In several Amish communities, teenagers aged 16 or 17 participate in a coming-of-age rite of passage known as Rumspringa. Based on a German word that translates to “jumping or hopping around,” Rumspringa involves a youth choosing to stay with the Amish church through baptism or leave the community for good. In Rumspringa, adolescents are allowed to do the following:
- Wear non-traditional hairstyles and clothing
- Operate automobiles, instead of horse-drawn carts
- Drink alcoholic beverages and use recreational drugs
- Opt out of attending home prayers
Some teenagers also choose to live outside of Amish communities for a time to experience modern technology and other creature comforts. Rumspringa participants usually must make a decision by the age of 26. Approximately 90% of Amish youth decide to return to their communities for baptism as adults.
Becoming an adult is a significant period marked by rituals and ceremonies associated with faith and spirituality around the world. These rites of passage represent a critical time in participants’ lives, shaping their understanding of their religious beliefs and how they inform their places in the world. Even in secular contexts, coming-of-age stories take up an important part of human consciousness, as evidenced by the popularity of this theme in media and literature.