Rite of passage

Posted by ESC on October 26, 2000

In Reply to: Meaning of phrase posted by Isla Kudrna on October 26, 2000

: I need to know the meaning of "Rite of passage". Any help would be appreciated. thanks.

Rite of passage. I couldn't find it in my phrase reference books. But here's my interpretation. Each society has some sort of event or ceremony (a rite) that signals a young person's passage into adulthood.

Young women used to put up their long hair. A boy went from short pants to his first pair of long trousers. Some young Indian boys went on quests. Going off to war is often a rite of passage. Today I don't know what the rite of passage is for young people in the U.S. Getting their driver's licenses. Or maybe it's later when they go off to college or first jobs.