Works Cited

Rich, Tracey R.  (2011).  Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah, and Confirmation.  Judaism 101 Website.  Accessed on 24 April 2014.  Retrieved from http://www.jewfaq.org/barmitz.htm

Trevino, Lily.  (n.d.).  Mexican Wedding Traditions.  Retrieved on 29 April 2014.  Retrieved from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=mexican%20marriage%20ceremony&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDcQFjAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Foiss.rice.edu%2FWorkArea%2FDownloadAsset.aspx%3Fid%3D1031&ei=Nt1gU_aZGYqI8AHl94HIBg&usg=AFQjCNEPmpvyKfIr8ztBJypYqOkVWu-c8A&sig2=Ah9DnmiZe0SMuC-kO5Aw2g&bvm=bv.65636070,d.b2U

Zhang, Xiaoxi.  (2009).  Ceremony Post.  In Chinese Wedding.  Retrieved on 29 April 2014.  Retrieved from http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall09/Zhang_x/ceremony.html

Yew, Wally.  (2002).  “A Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony”.  In Challenger, CCMUSA.  Retrieved 29 April 2014.  Retrieved from http://ccmusa.org/u2u/u2u.aspx?id=200206

Aranda Coming of Age Ceremonies.  (n.d).  In Australian Aboriginal-Initiation and Mourning Rites of Passage.  Accessed on 24 April 2014.  Retrieved from http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~rfrey/220aboriginal_passage.htm

Bar Mitzvah.  (n.d.).  In Chabad.org. Retrieved on 24 April 2014.  Retrieved from  http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1912609/jewish/Bar-Mitzvah-101.htm

Buddhist Death Ceremonies.  (2012).  In Reflections on Death Buddhist Hospices and HIV/AIDS:  Funeral Rites for the Dead.  Retrieved on 29 April 2014.  Retrieved from http://www.buddhanet.net/d_cermon.htm

Greek Death Ritual.  (n.d.).  In Greek Care.  Retrieved on 29 April 2014.  Retrieved from http://www.greekcare.org.au/advice-and-information/greek-culture-and-tradition/death-and-mourning/

Latin American Wedding Traditions.  10 Oct 2012.  In Wedding Traditions From Latin America, Wedding, Huffington Post.  Retrieved on 29 April 2014.  Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/10/wedding-traditions_n_1955223.html

Comparison and Analyzation of Orthodox Greek and Japanese Mahayana Buddhist Death Rituals

Compare:  Both cultures find that prayer and the afterlife are important to their ceremonies.  They allow loved ones to view the body and pay their respects to the deceased. They also carry out a period of mourning for over a month (30 days).

Contrast:  Buddhists do not believe in a need to keep the body intact and they cremate the deceased whereas an Orthodox Greek does not believe in mutilating the body in any manner.  Also Buddhists require a financial fee to be paid to the family, Orthodox Greeks do not require any payment from attendees.

What does this tell me? Analyzation:
For the Mahayana Buddhist Funeral Ceremony that religion and the practices associated with religion are normal parts of the culture.  The culture values the spirit or soul of the deceased one and not their body as they burn the bodies of their dead.  The culture also values support from the community as the community assist the family financially.  They value family as well with the family being the ones who must wait at the crematorium for the ashes.  The ceremony gives me insight on Japanese Buddhist beliefs or worldview as well:  they value reincarnation and the idea that the soul lives on even at the end of life in the body they had.  The body is not the important vessel when carrying the soul.

For the Orthodox Greek Funeral Ceremony, religion is another important part of everyday life.  A norm would be to not have the body tainted in any way--considering the view of transplants and organ donations I wonder if they even allow ear piercings and body art.  It is also normal to wear black, and potentially other colors for other ceremonies or events in life, to signify the loss of a loved one.  Another norm includes the consumption of brandy, and the consumption of coffee before and/or after meals as well as the involvement of the congregation in the family's life and business matters.  The culture values the food and drink as they consistently have meals after the death and before the funeral, after the funeral, and after Trisagions.  They value their congregation's involvement in their mourning and they value their bodies.  Their belief or worldview follows the idea that the body must remain intact and the soul must be prepared for eternal life.  They believe in God and that life after death can be great should the soul qualify as a good and righteous.  The family continues to pray for the soul after life in the hopes that their requests for forgiveness will help the soul reach an eternal life of peace and happiness.

Death Ritual: Orthodox Greek

Picture 1, Funeral Services for the Rev. Constantine N. Dombalis at Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church on Nov. 20, 2012, Accessed 29 April 2014.  http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/latest-news/funeral-services-held-for-longtime-greek-orthodox-leader/article_1a64de02-3343-11e2-b52a-001a4bcf6878.html

Immediately upon the death of an individual, the Trisagion is spoken in the presence of the deceased.  This is a prayer spoken by the priest.  After the funeral, the Trisagion is spoken again at a church or chapel of a funeral home.  Others can see the body during the Trisagion as well.

The Orthodox Greek believes in eternal life and believes that the integrity of the body in addition to the eternal life of the soul are very important.  This means that most Orthodox Greeks do not donate their organs.  Some churches are becoming more open to donating organs but this is not typical.  They also do not believe in cremation--they see it as a failure to keep the body as it is suppose to be upon death.  Small personal items of the deceased's may be placed in the coffin with them.

The church designates 40 days after the death as a period of mourning.  During this time (and beyond) the Trisagion is repeated at important days after the deceased's death:  the third day, ninth day, fortieth day, six months, and one year after the death at church or at the graveside.  During the period of mourning--before and after the funeral--relatives and friends provide the family with food and drinks.  The immediate family wears black during this period of mourning.  They do not participate in entertainment during this time--they do not dance or listen to music or attend social events.  Sometimes, individuals may continue this mourning for a year and widows may continue to wear black for the rest of their lives.

Some Orthodox Greeks prefer Greek funeral homes to prepare the funeral and they prefer the funeral to occur in a church.  Funerals are held on weekdays, rarely on Saturdays, and never on Sundays.  After the ceremony, the attendants bow to the open casket and kiss an object laid on the deceased's chest.  At the graveside, a prayer ceremony occurs where a prayer is said and people may lay a flower on the casket before it is lowered into the grave.

The family usually hosts a wake after the funeral although this is not a traditional part of the religious ceremony.  The meal depends on the families homeland but they always offer guests brandy upon entrance and coffee before and/or after the meal.

Mnimosyno is a memorial service held on the day close to the 40th day of the deceased's death.  At this service, the priests pray for forgiveness of the deceased.  Family sits in the front row and they provide kollyva-boiled wheat with sugar, spices, etc. Kollyva represents eternal life and the soul.  After the service, the family invites the congregation to a meal with them--similar to the wake meal after the funeral.

http://www.greekcare.org.au/advice-and-information/greek-culture-and-tradition/death-and-mourning/

Death Ritual: Mahayana Buddhism in Japan

With the Buddhist religion and culture there are two different types of prevalent Buddhism:  Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism.  The Mahayana Buddhist religion is common in the Japanese Culture.  The Death ritual involves a pre-funeral event called "Otsuya".  This ritual is similar to a wake:  loved ones come and pay their respects with more happy stories than sad ones.

The actual funeral is called "ososhiki".  Funeral attendees first pay a fee to the family before entering t the funeral location.  The funeral entails an altar with the deceased's photograph surrounded by flowers placed in front of the deceased's casket.

Picture 4, Death and Funeral Customs:  Buddhism Post, Funerals and Flowers In Loving Memory Website, Accessed 29 April 2014.  http://www.funerals-and-flowers.com/death-and-funeral-customs.html

Priests chant up until the point when the body is shown to the public for the last time.  This point in the funeral is called "Nobe no Okuri".

After the funeral ceremony, the Japanese Mahayana Buddhists then have the body cremated.  Loved ones wait at the crematorium for the body cremation to be complete.  When the body is returned the family members place the bones in an urn with ceremonial chopsticks and someone who works for the crematorium crushes the bones until they are ash.  The family is then given the ashes and a certificate of cremation.

Although the ceremony lasts for a short period, the Japanese Mahayana Buddhists are not finished.  The 49th day of one's death is an important stage in the Buddhist reincarnation cycle.  The 49th day means that the deceased has made it to their next stage of reincarnation:  they are at their next destination.

http://www.buddhanet.net/d_cermon.htm

Comparison and Analyzation of Marriage Ceremonies

Compared:The Mexican and Chinese marriage ceremonies have some similarities.  They both signify that a new relationship has occurred--they bound two people together.  Both ceremonies do incorporate the parents for something:  the Chinese ceremony includes a Tea Ceremony where the parents are served by the newly wed couple and the Mexican ceremony has the bride and groom dance with their parents at the reception party.  Gifts are also a part of both ceremonies:  at the Chinese Tea Ceremony, the red envelopes filled with jewelry or money is a must.  For the Mexican Ceremony, gifts may be given at the Reception.

Contrast:  There are significant differences between the Traditional Chinese Marriage Ceremony and the Mexican Marriage Ceremony.  The first involves the covering of the bride.  In the Chinese Marriage Ceremony the bride's face is completely covered until it is uncovered in the ceremony.  The guests do not see her face until that point.  For the Mexican Marriage Ceremony, there is no covering of the bride.  She may wear a veil but most of the veils only cover the back of the body and are, now, decorative wedding regalia.  There is also a difference in a respect of the earth, each other, and the parents.  The Chinese Ceremony has the couple bow to the earth, to their parents, and to each other.  Then, the couple must later pour tea and serve their parents and/or family.  The Mexican Ceremony focuses on the couple for respect.  The couple say vows and make promises to each other.  There is not true focus on their parents, the earth, or their families.

Analyzation:  From the Chinese Ceremony, it is easy to understand more about the Chinese Culture.  One can easily deduce that the earth and the heavens are valuable aspects of the Chinese culture--it has been included in a wedding ceremony, AND that bowing is a primal part of showing respect in Chinese culture.  Additionally, the bride has to have her face covered which tells me there may be more restrictions on females depending on their families.  These restrictions would be the product of, most likely, a very patriarchal society.  One can also assume that the culture is very subservient to their elders and family with the bride and groom serving their parents and/or their families.

The Mexican Ceremony tells us that, the Mexican government is not controlled by religion since it requires a civil wedding ceremony to indicate a legal wedding.  The government seems to be pretty strict as well requiring four signatures to prove a couple has been married.  There may be serious requirements and/or restrictions for couples who are married.  By that I mean, maybe there are tax differences for married couples or maybe Mexico has had a serious history of elopement issues and are trying to prevent them.  The religious ceremony indicates that religion is a very true part of the Mexican culture.  The culture also uses symbols rampantly:  they use gold rings to indicate their possession of each other, they use gold coins for a successful income, and they use a rosary to indicate love and their commit together.  The culture also practices a similar ritual to sacrifice where they place a bouquet at the feet of the Virgin de Guadalupe.  Though there is no actual sacrifice this follows along the lines of Greek or Roman sacrifices of possessions to the Greek and/or Roman Gods.  Parties are another important aspect of the culture:  they seem to thrive on a social life and have games throughout their reception.  Music is also important as wedding ceremonies have mariachis play for an hour before the end of the wedding.  Then the newly married couple continues partying with their family before they leave for their honeymoon.

Marriage Ceremonies: Mexican Wedding

For a Mexican wedding, on the big day, the bride has her hair and nails done at a beauty salon before she goes home and has her female family members help her with her dress.  The groom does not need all of these things done--he just has to worry about wearing a tuxedo.

A driver goes to pick up both the groom in the bride in a car that has been decorated on the outside with flowers.  The couple has their picture taken while a video cameraman follows them around from this point on.  The couple has their photos taken by professionals--sometimes they have it at a studio and sometimes they go out into a garden.   The location(s) of the photos depends on the couple's preferences.

Most people are Roman Catholic in Mexico but Mexico will not recognize a religious wedding so the couple must have a civil ceremony.  This civil ceremony can take place before or after the religious one.    Most couples have the civil and religious ceremonies on the same day but this is also depends on the wishes of the couple.

With the civil ceremony a judge talks about marriage and then the couple and the judge will sign a document that proclaims the couple husband and wife.  They need four witnesses to sign the document as well and these witnesses are usually close family and friends.  Not many people need to or ususally do attend this ceremony.

For the religious ceremony that is common in Mexico, the groom arrives first at the church and he awaits the bride at the altar.  The bride enters with a wedding march and with her father walking her down the church aisle.  When the bride reaches the groom the couple walks to the priest together and he says a blessing.  The couple says their vows and the priest asks a series of questions to which the bride and the groom respond "I do".  The couple then exchange rings.  The groom gives thirteen "arras" to the bride.  These are gold coins that symbolize hard work and good administration skills over their income.  Then large rosary beads are placed around their shoulders symbolizing love and unity.  Rosary beads are usually used in prayer and religious practices of Catholics.  They have a certain number of beads and a cross with Jesus on the end of the necklace.  The bride then puts a bouquet of her choosing at feet of Virgin of Guadalupe to thank her and to pray to her for their marriage.  After this the guests are welcome to cheer and congratulate the couple.  The bride sometimes carries two bouquets.

Picture 5, Five Wedding Traditions for Cultural Ideas Post, OneWed Blog, 28 Nov 2011.  Accessed on 29 April 2014.   http://www.onewed.com/cultural/blog/5-more-wedding-traditions-from-around-the-world

Following this ceremony is usually a reception.  Usually, the newly wed couple enters the reception party after the guests have all arrived.  They dance to a song that is considered their song, they dance with their parents, and then they dance among guests.  Food is served at the reception.  The food can vary depending on the couple but there is usually a soup made by cream and vegetables with the main dish being meat, vegetables, and mash potatoes.  The dessert varies and depends on the decisions of the bride and groom  or their family.  In small towns, the meal is usually a pork, chicken, or beef casserole with rice and refried beans.  The wedding cake is served towards the end of the ceremony.
The couple play a variety of games at their ceremony.  The games vary but they are usually to the benefit of the couple.  The bride does usually throw her bouquet for single ladies to catch and the groom tosses the garter he got from the bride to single men.
At the very end of the reception, Mariachis play traditional Mexican music. This is usually an hour long.

After the reception is an after party at the bride's parent's house.  This location can vary but it is usually at this person's house.  This party is only for family.  The family has a good time interacting with each other by talking, laughing, and singing.  At the end of this party the couple says goodbye to their family and they head out on their honeymoon.

A honeymoon is a trip (the location depends on the couple) where the couple are alone together and allowed to bond together.

There can be other elements added to the Mexican wedding depending on different regions acorss Mexico.

Mexican Wedding Traditions
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/10/wedding-traditions_n_1955223.html

Marriage Ceremonies: Traditional Chinese Ceremony

At the wedding ceremony of a traditional Chinese Marriage Ceremony, the bride and groom first bow three times.  The first bow is to heaven and the earth, the second is for their parents, and the third bow is for each other.  Some families have the male shoot three arrows for good luck as well. The highlight of the ceremony occurs as the groom unveils the bride.  This is important because the bride shows her face to the wedding guests for the first time on her wedding day.  Up until this point, her face has remained covered.  The Tea Ceremony follows this Wedding Ceremony.  With the Tea Ceremony, the bride and groom's parents sit down and the bride and groom serve their parents tea.  Sometimes the grandparents, aunts, and uncles are included with the parents and the bride and groom must serve all of these people.  The parents give red envelopes that contain cash and/or jewelry to symbolize their wish for the couple's future happiness.  The Tea Ceremony officiates the new relationship status of the newly wedded couple.  It allows the couple to address their inlaws as mother and father rather than Mr. and Mrs.

Picture 1, File:  Traditional Chinese Wedding Ceremony. Jpg,  19 March 2010.  Accessed 29 April 2014. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Traditional_Chinese_wedding_ceremony.jpg

http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall09/Zhang_x/ceremony.html
http://ccmusa.org/u2u/u2u.aspx?id=200206

Comparison and Analyzation of Rites of Passage

The Bar/Bat Mitzvah and the Aranda Intiation Ceremonies have different focal points:  the purpose of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah is to prepare a boy for religious adulthood in his culture whereas the purpose of the Aranda Ceremonies are to create bonds and kinship alliances.

Both cultures experience the stages of rites of passage although they may not be as obvious as other cultures.  For the Bar/Bat Mitzvah of the Jewish culture, the boy is not separated by walls and isolation but through his studies--he has to spend a huge amount of his time with the Rabbi of his synagogue.  He does not undergo an official separation but he is differentiated from his community as a bar mitzvah.  For the Aranda, separation occurs first with the circumcision process and continues as the Parra Ceremony occurs, separating the boy from the rest of his community temporarily.

The transition period occurs in the Jewish culture as the bar or bat mitzvah is trained to read from Torah and in Judaism.  They are given the expectations of a religious adult and prepped for what being an adult in the religious realm of the culture entails.  The Aranda go through a transition as the boy bonds with the elder.

The Jewish rite of passage reincorporates the bar or bat mitzvah into society after their ceremony through the party.  This usually involves a feast, music, and dancing.  The Aranda conclude their ceremonies with the Tossing Ceremony where the boy is tossed, caught by his male relatives, and considered a man.

Both cultures practice the rites as a way to maintain their group cohesion and keep their communities together while continuing their traditions.  The rites are very entertaining for the culture as well.  The Jewish culture concludes with a party full of entertainment.  The Aranda conclude with tossing the boy in the air which provides entertainment for them.

What do these ceremonies tell me about the cultures?  First and foremost, the Bar or Bat Mitzvah tells me that the culture puts severe importance on the Torah and readings from it.  The norms include following the religious rules and regulations that have been in place for several years.  The values of this culture also focus on religion.  This culture places value on reading from the Torah and being an important member of the religious community--carrying the Tefillin while serving God.  The beliefs or worldview accept and believe that there is a God.  They consider the Torah a sacred text and regard it very highly.

The Aranda culture teaches me that the norms may include really close kinship among same sexes.  There may potentially be norms that encourage the men to be closer than the Western culture's norms allow--this can be a physical closeness, an intimate closeness, or a spiritual closeness.  Also, because this is focused on males, I can suspect a norm to be the practice of sex stratification in this culture.  The culture values kinship and bonding of kin.  Their worldview sees the mutilation of the male penis as a technique for bonding and getting close to other members of the community.

Rites of Passage: Aranda Tribe of Australia

At the age of twelve, boys in the Aranda tribe go through a Ceremony of Circumcision six weeks prior to what is called the Tossing Ceremony.  The Ceremony of Circumcision involves the circumcision of the boy.  Following his circumcision is another ceremony called the Parra Ceremony of Subincision.  The Parra Ceremony of Subincision a body modification where the uretha is sliced lengthwise from the urethral opening towards the base of the penis.  With this ceremony the men rub their blood on one another.  They follow with the Kuntamara Ceremony that requires a reopening of the subincision.  This is done by an elder with a stone that creates a bonding of kinship.  The Tossing Ceremony occurs six weeks after the boys circumcision.  The Tossing Ceremony requires that the boy be tossed into the air and caught by various male relatives.

Picture 1, Australian Aboriginal-Initiation and Mourning Rites of Passage.  Accessed 29 April 2014.  http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~rfrey/220aboriginal_passage.htm

Rites of Passage: About a Bar Mitzvah

One particular ritual that cultures practice focus on rites of passage or coming of age.

Picture 1, the Obsessed, Upset Post from Pastor Blog.  23 April 2014.  Accessed 26 April 2014.  http://rdrevilo.wordpress.com/tag/pastor/

In Jewish culture, at the age of 13, a child goes through their bar/bat mitzvah.  Historically, academics do not completely understand why rabbis established 13 for this age of practice (Marcus 82).  The age of 20 was when the Jewish culture fully considered a person to be an adult--they were able to own land and make financial transactions.  Academics have surmised that this ritual was important to establish the individual's personal control over their spirituality. This ceremony establishes the individual as a responsible religious Jew.  The boy or girl undergoing a bar mitzvah must undergo severe preparation that includes studies on Judaism in addition to practice of the reading and his speech.  

When a boy reaches a year and a day he undergoes his Bar Mitzvah.  The boy's father gets up and gives God a blessing.  This symbolizes that the father is no longer responsible for his son religously.  He is no longer responsible for when his son commits sins.  Another important part of the ceremony is the wearing of Telfillin.  Tefillin are black leather pouches containing verses from the Bible including the Shema (sacred passages from the Bible that also have importance to some Christians).  The Torah says that men must wear their Tefillin on their head and arms.  According to http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1912609/jewish/Bar-Mitzvah-101.htm, the Tefillin are worn as a reminder that the individual must harness their intellect, emotions and action in the service of God. The boy then undergoes an aliyah.  Aliyah means "ascent" referring to the physical ascent of the individual reading the Torah and the spiritual elevation through reading the Torah.  In the community, during special holidays, readings from the Torah are read in the synagogue.  The boy must recite a blessing before reading and after reading.  He must be trained in the practice of being called for an aliyah.   This reading depends on the community and how much they expect from their bar mitzvahs.  Some require the boys to learn the haftarah section of the Torah--this can include chants and reciting passages.  This is a community ordeal--the whole community is present as this ceremony occurs.  The commandments are spoken at this ritual by boys who are 13 or older.  Gifts are commonly given, however, they are given during the reception period rather than the ceremony period of the event.
Following the ceremony is a party.  The party is usually directly after the bar mitzvah ceremony but the proceedings depend on the community.  These parties involve a feast and usually music and dancing depending on if the bar mitzvah ceremony occurred during a religious holiday such as the Shabbat.  The last part of the ceremony is a speech by the boy undergoing the ceremony.  He either recites his speech after the bar mitzvah in the synagogue or at the reception party.

Currently, females are undergoing a Bat Mitzvah which follows along similar lines.  The female, however, begins her bat mitzvah at the age of 12.  

http://www.jewfaq.org/barmitz.htm

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1912609/jewish/Bar-Mitzvah-101.htm