The same idea in 19 places, grouped by region. Each entry is a short portrait; follow the link for the full tradition.
Upanayana, the sacred thread ceremony, introduces young boys in some Hindu communities to formal study, with the gift of a thread worn over the shoulder. Girls in parts of the south mark the first menstruation with a ritual bath, a feast and new clothes, called ritu kala samskara.
Read: UpanayanaA girl's puberty is traditionally celebrated with a bathing ritual, new clothes and a party with relatives, called the Ottupulla or Raban. The occasion is both private and festive.
Read: Rite of passageBalinese young people go through the tooth-filing rite, mepandes, at puberty, in which the upper teeth are lightly filed to symbolise mastery of anger and greed. The family prepares offerings and a priest leads the ceremony.
Human tooth sharpening, being writtenSeijin no Hi, on the second Monday of January, celebrates everyone who turns twenty in the year, many in furisode kimono for women and hakama or suits for men. Local halls hold a ceremony and a party follows.
Read: Coming of Age DaySeongnyeonui is celebrated on the third Monday of May, with roses, perfume and a gift. Traditional dress, the hanbok, and a tea ceremony remain a part of the older rite.
Read: Coming of Age DayA child's first haircut, at about three to five years old, is a family celebration at which relatives take turns to snip a lock and give a gift. A boy's rite of manhood in the past was linked to the Naadam games.
Read: NaadamUzbek boys are celebrated at a sunnat toy, a large family feast with plov, music and gifts, usually between the ages of five and ten. The boy is dressed in a festive robe, the chapan, and an embroidered cap.
Culture of Uzbekistan, being writtenAt thirteen for boys, and twelve or thirteen for girls, young people become responsible for the commandments, marked by a bar or bat mitzvah in the synagogue, reading from the Torah and a family celebration. Many families celebrate at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, where young people read from the Torah in the early morning.
Read: Bar and bat mitzvahZoroastrian children are initiated in the Navjote or Sedreh Pushi at about seven to fifteen years old, when they put on the sacred shirt, the sedreh, and cord, the kusti, in front of a priest and family. A feast of sweet rice and a gift for the child follow, and families wear their best clothes for the occasion.
Navjote, being writtenA Moroccan child who completes a first fast in Ramadan or memorises a part of the Quran is celebrated with a family meal. The child wears a white djellaba and a cap, and receives sweets and money.
Read: DjellabaAmong the Maasai, boys leave the family to join the warrior class in the Eunoto, an elaborate rite of passage that includes shaving the head, ritual feasting and songs. Girls take part in a ceremony of readiness for marriage, though many communities now replace older practices with alternative rites.
Maasai people, being writtenXhosa boys spend several weeks in the bush for ulwaluko, a rite of initiation led by elders, and return as men to a feast. The rite is cherished by those who keep it, and community and health authorities work to make it safer.
Read: UlwalukoConfirmation in the Church of England, the eighteenth birthday and the key to the door are traditional markers. Scouts and other groups have their own ceremonies.
Read: ConfirmationThe quinceanera marks a girl's fifteenth year with a mass, a long dress, a waltz with her father and a party for the whole community. Godparents help pay for the dress, the cake and the music.
Quinceañera, being writtenThe Sweet Sixteen and high school graduation are widely observed, and Native American nations such as the Apache hold the Sunrise Dance for girls, a four-day rite of blessing and endurance. Many families also mark a first driving licence or the move to college with a family meal.
Menstruation celebration, being writtenThe debutante ball, baile de debutantes, is held at fifteen for girls in many cities, with a waltz, a formal dress and a family party. Indigenous nations hold their own rites of passage for young people.
Debutante, being writtenOn Pentecost Island, boys take part in the land dive, naghol, jumping from tall wooden towers with vines tied to their ankles, in a rite that links the yam harvest with a boy's courage. It is the origin of bungee jumping.
Land diving, being writtenAmong the Sepik peoples, the crocodile initiation involves scarification, in which cuts on the back and chest are made to resemble crocodile skin, a mark of a man's strength and bond with the spirit. The marks heal over weeks, and the men who bear them are honoured at a feast held by their kin.
Sepik, being writtenMany Aboriginal communities hold initiation ceremonies in which young people are taught their law, songs and their country, often with a period away from the community. The details are private to the people who hold them.
Aboriginal Australians, being writtenWritten by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Every week: one tradition from somewhere new, what is being celebrated around the world this week, and one idea explained.