DEFINITIONS
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rites of passage

Ceremonies that mark important transitional periods in a person's life, such as birth, puberty, marriage, having children, and death. Rites of passage usually involve ritual activities and teachings designed to strip individuals of their original roles and prepare them for new roles. The traditional American wedding ceremony is such a rite of passage. In many so-called primitive societies, some of the most complex rites of passage occur at puberty, when boys and girls are initiated into the adult world. In some ceremonies, the initiates are removed from their village and may undergo physical mutilation before returning as adults.

Content related to rites of passage

Where Does Champagne Get Its Name?Where did this festive libation get its name? And what makes a champagne a champagne?
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The Problem With AwesomeMany words have been wasted on the subject of when adulthood starts. Some hold that it comes about with the right to drink alcoholic beverages or vote in an election. For particularly stringent grammarians of a certain generation, the rite of passage that marks the official start of adulthood is the point at which one becomes annoyed at hearing someone say that something is awesome, …
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Words nearby rites of passage

rite de passage, rite of intensification, rite of passage, rite of spring, the, ritenuto, rites of passage, ritornello, ritschlian, ritter, ritter's disease, ritual

notes for rites of passage

Rites of passage generally affirm community solidarity, especially in times of change or crisis.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.