Rite of passage

A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual which marks an important transitional period in a person's life, such as birth, puberty, marriage, 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.

In many cultures, some of the most complex rites of passage occur at puberty, when boys and girls are initiated into the adult world. These rituals are also called 'coming of age' rituals as they take place when a girl or boy becomes an adult.

Watch the video about a rite of passage in one culture and answer the question:

• In what month of the year is the ceremony held?

Watch and listen to the video again an the recording.

The Mescalero Apache 'coming of age' ritual lasts for four days

It tests strength, endurance and (1)___________

The ritual prepares girls to become women

Family and friends help to cater for more than (2)_______ guests

A medicine woman instructs the girls in traditional Apache womanhood

The ritual covers the stages of life: infant, child, (3)_______, woman

The ritual begins in the early morning

Throughout the ceremony, the girl must not show emotion

Before the ceremony, the girls are blessed and dusted with (4)__________

On the fourth and final day, the girls climb the hill to pray to the mountain (5) ________

The girls dance all through the night

In the morning, the girl's faces are painted with white (6)________

After the rite of passage is complete, the girls are given an Apache name

The community gathers and shows respect to the girl

As an Apache woman, the girl is a symbol of her (7)_________

When you are ready, enter your answers in the sheet below: