Rituals – Coming of Age

Cultures from around the world celebrate a child’s coming of age. Nearly all faiths define an age when a child is capable of understanding the significance of the community’s beliefs – and is ready to commit to supporting it. Jewish bar and bat mitzvah, Amish rumspringa, Christian confirmation and the Apache Sunrise ceremony are but a few examples. This transition matters. It represents acceptance of the mantel – carrying the belief forward into their adult lives. 

The arts are everywhere. Old words and new words. Old music and new music. Traditional sequences. Symbolic gestures. Although the focus may be on the celebration, something is very different from that moment on.