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Global Puberty Rituals and Traditions

The document discusses cultural puberty rituals around the world. It provides two examples: among the Barabaig people of East Africa, boys' heads are shaved and cut from ear to ear, leaving scars as a symbol of manhood; in Paraguay and Brazil, girls undergoing their first menstruation are tattooed on their back, breast, and stomach using fish bones and ashes, seen as making them sexually attractive. While some view unusual rituals as inhumane, they are simply part of certain cultures' rites of passage into adulthood.

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Kaye Angeli Tan
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25 views3 pages

Global Puberty Rituals and Traditions

The document discusses cultural puberty rituals around the world. It provides two examples: among the Barabaig people of East Africa, boys' heads are shaved and cut from ear to ear, leaving scars as a symbol of manhood; in Paraguay and Brazil, girls undergoing their first menstruation are tattooed on their back, breast, and stomach using fish bones and ashes, seen as making them sexually attractive. While some view unusual rituals as inhumane, they are simply part of certain cultures' rites of passage into adulthood.

Uploaded by

Kaye Angeli Tan
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

I N T R O D U C T I O N

Puberty is defined as the age or period at which a person is first capable of

sexual reproduction, in other eras of history, a rite or celebration of this

landmark event was a part of the culture. This is true of tribal societies that

exist today, but for most of us, puberty as a specific event is part of a much

more complicated piece of our lives called adolescence.

Cultural Puberty Rituals

Coming of age or reaching puberty is celebrated in many different ways

around the world. In some cultures, it is a very important ritual marked by

ceremonies while in other countries it is simply a birthday and the legal age

for certain activities. Some of the countries that have distinct rituals also

have very unusual rituals that are considered inhumane by some people and

simply a part of life for other people.


Shaving and Scarring Boys Heads

 Barabaig Culture of East Africa

Among the many different

cultures of the world that

have rites of passage for

young men transitioning to

adulthood are the Barabaig

cattle herding tribe of East

Africa. These people believe

that shaving the boy’s heads

and cutting them down to the

bone from ear to ear in three

deep horizontal cuts would

make them into men. The

resulting scar, called a ‘gar’,

is a symbol of manhood and

the boys who have it wear it

with pride.
Female Tattooing

 Paraguay and Brazil

In Paraguay and Brazil it is common for young girls who reach the age of

puberty and have their first menstrual cycle to undergo tattooing. This is

considered to be sexually attractive and not a form of pain. The girl is

gouged with fish bone on the back, breast and stomach and then ashes are

rubbed in the wounds to create a permanent tattoo. Although somewhat odd,

this is the least painful and unusual of the rites of passage found around the

word.

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