Cultural Rituals, Essay Example

In her book, Once Upon a Quinceanera, Julia Alvarez discusses the ritual of the quince and its significance in the cultural life of Latinas.  She discusses both the advantages and disadvantages of this custom from a variety of perspectives: the familial, financial, social repercussions, among others.  In this paper, another coming-of-age ritual, namely the bar and bat mitzvah, the Jewish rite of passage ceremonies for the transition to becoming a young man and woman, respectively, will be examined using some of the same variables in assessing their impact on the Jewish community and the individuals.

A bar mitzvah is the celebration of a 13- year- old Jewish male’s arrival at an age of religious responsibility, i.e.,” becoming a man “ that is now responsible for both his moral and his religious duties.  The female’s equivalent ceremony, the bat mitzvah, occurs one year earlier when she reaches the age of 12.  In addition, during recent years, many Jewish adults who did not have bar or bat mitzvahs as children are having the celebrations as an affirmation of their Jewish identity.

The ceremony of these rituals combines a mix of traditional Jewish blessings and prayers as well as each family’s imprint of how they would like to commemorate the occasion.  This can range from a simple reception after traditional Friday night services involving wine and other refreshments and hors d’oeuvres for the congregants who attend the services.

The bar mitzvah is usually preceded by several years of Hebrew school education in which a young Jewish student gains a true understanding and respect for the history of the ritual.  The importance of learning Jewish history and  language as well as culture is vital in order to help the developing child establish an identity.  Knowing where one comes from, who one’s ancestors were and the proud but troubled history of the Jewish people can help the student develop a strong sense of pride as well as an identification with the past achievements amidst struggles of one’s relatives.

Certainly, there is substantial preparation for the bar and bat mitzvah that lends itself to the actual event.  When attending Hebrew school during the years prior to the ceremony, Jewish students learn about the biographies  and  teachings of significant figures in Jewish history, the development of classical Jewish texts, a timeline of Jewish history, the foundational concepts of Jewish spirituality, and an overview of Jewish cultural practices such as celebrations and traditions of the Jewish holidays.

Just as Alvarez’s book discusses the social aspects of the quince, the social significance of a bar and bat mitzvah is a relevant factor in the development of the child and family involved.  Because the words that are said during the ceremony are literally “Today I am a man/woman,” an ongoing issue between the children and parents from that point on continues to be the struggle over what sorts of rights and privileges will now be accorded that child.  Should they be any different than they were the day before the celebration?  Is the child actually any more mature then they were just a few days prior?  Yet, the rite of passage that has been celebrated in such a significant way frequently gives the child the sense that they have moved to a different phase and that the rules and boundaries that applied prior will now change.  In fact, some minor standards and rules, such as bedtime or social events with friends, can conceivably be altered somewhat, depending on the maturity level and responsibility of that child.  However, the fact that a ceremony has been held to validate a 13 year old’s “passage into adulthood” does not have much meaning in a practical sense.  A 13 year old still has a curfew, still cannot drink or drive, cannot earn his own money in an actual job other than babysitting or mowing lawns, and is still essentially a child.  He or she may feel entitled to a different set of rules now that they have been formally acknowledged as being in a new status from a religious point of view; this may cause tension and outright hostility within the family system as both parents and children attempt to sort through the transition from childhood to adolescence.

The planning of these celebrations varies considerably as the family must determine how many people to invite, who to invite, the nature of the celebration, whether it will be in the synagogue or an outside venue such as a restaurant or a hall.  In modern times, these parties have become larger and more extravagant expressions of this religious occasion, with parents spending thousands of dollars on food, entertainment, bands or DJs for the larger crowd of young people who appear to be the focus of the party more and more, gift bags to give out to the attendees, and an endless number of other expenses.  Financially, the event can cause quite a hardship on a family because the type of celebration that is presented is often seen as a status symbol, and in particular, the young boy or girl who is being honored frequently loses the religious focus of the occasion and becomes extremely invested in having the biggest, most expensive, and most original celebration.

In addition to all that goes into planning the actual ceremony and celebration, and other expenses for all involved, both guests and hosts, include attire; the bar mitzvah becomes a fashion event, with the each person in attending seeking to have an original outfit that will not be duplicated by another guest, and again, the clothing that is worn contributes to conclusions about one’s status and social class.  Heaven forbid someone from wearing an outfit that has already been seen previously at another event attended by some of the same guests!  The desired impression of having an original outfit gives an impression of uniqueness as well as giving the illusion that the person wearing the outfit is distinct from all others, and possibly more affluent.

Because of the modern focus on the material aspect of the celebration of the bar mitzvah, and the emphasis on it being a party rather than a religious rite of passage, for many Jewish young adults, the symbolic significance of passage into a more mature stage in life becomes minimized.  This is not to say that every boy or girl approaches their bar mitzvah with no appreciation of the religious significance of the event; certainly, many young people are humbled by their participating in this ancient tradition, filled with prayers and blessings that have been uttered by their forefathers and ancestors for thousands of years.

Generally, just as the Latina culture views the quince as a turning point in the life of its young women, the Jewish tradition acknowledges the coming maturity of its children with the bar and bat mitzvah.  The event has cultural, financial, familial and social implications that are distinctly different from those experienced when the children were younger, and may now a result in a much more complicated family constellation.  For example, this young adult may seek a higher allowance, a later bedtime, more time outside the home with friends, including going out with members of the opposite sex.  All of these areas need to be negotiated between the parents and their new young teen, as all involved are having to adjust to the child’s newest stage in life and his or her wish to have more independence.

Although the bar mitzvah is a significant ritual in the life of the Jewish child, a 13-year-old is still a child, nevertheless.  Despite the grandeur of the occasion, parents need to take pains to balance their child’s newly developing maturity with the needs of a child who is still dependent on their parents for most things.

References

Alvarez, J. (2007). Once upon a Quinceanera: Coming of age in the U.S.A. New York: Viking.