How significant lifestones are marked in different cultures
In our lifetime we will celebrate a range of different milestones or rites of passage. These events are celebrated in various different ways in various cultures or religions. In this essay I will explore a range of different milestones or right of passage such as birth, puberty, marriage death etc. amoung the different cultures and religions. I will also compare and contrast the religious beliefs in 2 different religions/cultures/socieities.
The first milestone is birth. Birth is a milestone that is celebrated in every culture. The birth of a child can be marked with a family gathering after the mother has given birth. A welcoming home party may also be carried out. Birth can also be celebrated later on in life with Birthdays. Birthdays also mark a significant date in a persons life. For example, birthdays can effect the person and the legal system. Examples of this are when a person turns 18 they are considered an adult, legal to vote, legal to purchase alcohol, consent to sex, to marry and to obtain a drivers license.
The next milestone is puberty. Puberty is marked in various different ways in different cultures.
Puberty marks the change of when a child becomes a teenager and matures. Puberty in a vary of different ways in different cultures. For example, puberty in the Irish catholic culture is celebrated with a ceremony called '' Confirmation ''. Confirmation marks the person as having completed one og the seven sacraments. Confirmation is usually carried out by a prayer service includint the laying of the hands, annoiting, a prayer and the receivement of the '' Gift of the Holy Spirit ''. After the service, the people usually go to a pub or reception and have an after party involving alcohol, music and food.
The puberty ritiual in Japan is celebrated by both men and women is known as a '' Seijin Shiki '' ceremony. The ceremony is a coming of age for people when they are about 20 years old. Girls dress up in '' Kimones '' and boys in traditional Japanese clothing. After the ceremony, they celebrate by going to a party together which is much like a prom.
Marriage is the 3rd milestone I will discuss. Marriage is of great significance in any culture. Marriage can affect both peoples lifes personally, financially and legally.
Marriage can be celebrated in 2 different ways, the first through a church service and the second, at a registatery office.
To be married in the catholic church there are requirments : Spouses are free to marry Freely exchange consent Their consent must be given with withnesses present Intend on marrying for life, open to children and be faithful to each other.
Marriage is also celebrated after church in Ireland with a meal and a party known as '' The afters'' which usually involves alcohol and entertainment.
The muslim marriage celebration is a simple, colourful multiday festival. The marriage known as a '' Nikah'' in Arabic is simple and brief, and generally follows the following steps:
The wedding can take place anywhere. The bride and groom are serperated in different rooms. An officiant heads to each room seperatly and asks the spouse if they give their own free consent to marriage. The couple signs the contract with withnesses present. The officiant then brings the couple together and then pronounces them man and wife.
Death is the last milestone I will discuss. Funerals in China are mostly held in Rural areas. Burial is preferred to cremation.
The colour of mourning in China is white, which the mourners and cemetery workers wear. The hearse which carries the coffin is highly decorated and also the coffin itself is highly decorated. When the coffin is being lowered, the mourners turn away because they believe its bad luck to watch it being lowered.
There is a festival in China that celebrates the dead known as '' The feast of the hungry souls '' that is celebrated on the 15th day of the 7th month on the Chinese calender. The ghosts are restless souls who have been killed in an accident and who did not recieve a proper burial. These souls roam around and must be fed and entertained to prevent them from doing harm. Paper money is also burned and children are urged to get home before dark. Performers sing and dance in an attempt to entertain and please the ghosts.
Death in Ireland is usually celebrated with a prayer service and burial. This usually takes place over 2 days.
One the first day, the family gathers in a funeral home or dead house. The dead is in a coffin in a room with the family members. Here, other relatives and friends may visit the dead house and offer their condolences to the family. At the end of that night, there is a short mass and the final goodbyes are said, the coffin is then closed and brought to a local church in a hearse. The hearse travels at a slow pace for family members and friends to walk behind it as a sign of respect. At the church a short mass takes place.
On the second day, a longer mass takes place in the morning. Here, people remember and celebrate the deceased person. The coffin is then brought to the graveyard where a short burial service takes place. Afterwards the the people will go to a pub.
For this part of the essay I will now compare the role of religious belief in 2 contrasting societies. The 2 religious societies that I will compare and contrast are the following: The Catholic Church of Ireland and the Muslim Faith.
Religious beliefs in Ireland's church has shaped our society and influenced history. The church of Ireland at one stage pretty much ran the country.
The Catholic Church has had a powerful influence over Irish society throughout history, but this has diminished in recent decades. The Church's influence meant that the Irish state had very conservative social policies, banning, for example, divorce, contraception,and abortion. In Ireland the church had significant influence on public opinion. The church continued to have great influence in Ireland. Éamon de Valera's 1937 constitution, while granting freedom of religion, recognised the "special position of the Holy Catholic Apostolic and Roman Church". Major popular church events attended by the political world have included the Eucharistic Congress in 1932 and the Papal Visit in 1979.
In the muslim faith, A Muslim is a person who has dedicated his worship exclusively to God, Islam means making one's religion and faith God's alone. Muslims also believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a Primordial faith. Islamic culture generally includes all the practices which have developed around the religion of Islam. Marriage in Islam is considered to be of the utmost importance. In Islam, marriage is a legal bond and Social contract between a man and a woman as prompted by the sharia.