There are a lot odd traditions that seem overdue for extinction.
For instance, in Ethiopian orthodox Christianity newborn male babies are christened in 40 days while females go through the exact same process after 80 days. I have asked several people the question why and got exactly zero responses. Its just how it has always been done.
Another example is around death. There is a day 3 of death ceremony. Day 7. Day 45. Day 365. 7th year mark.. etc. These are preset dates. Many things are done to mark the anniversaries of day of death. I have not witnessed too many deaths around me so these observations were odd to me each time I encountered them.
Think of a wedding for instance. In countries like Ethiopia and India, it is an multiple day process. A lot of relatives and friends spend significant time and money around weddings. When I was younger and didn't understand it all, it seemed like a lot of unnecessary drama.
When I was graduating from college, I was excited about walking across the stage. Though many people would consider that process theater, to me it was the mark of my journey of many years. The GPA, the degree, the skills I learnt and time I spent to get to that point wasn't easy. I wanted to properly celebrate that accomplishment.
There is something emotional about ceremonies that acknowledge moments in our lives. Weddings, funerals, graduation ceremonies, the Oscars are all such events. It could be theater for some and an episodic moment for another. Depends on the sweat, tears and blood invested.
For instance, in Ethiopian orthodox Christianity newborn male babies are christened in 40 days while females go through the exact same process after 80 days. I have asked several people the question why and got exactly zero responses. Its just how it has always been done.
Another example is around death. There is a day 3 of death ceremony. Day 7. Day 45. Day 365. 7th year mark.. etc. These are preset dates. Many things are done to mark the anniversaries of day of death. I have not witnessed too many deaths around me so these observations were odd to me each time I encountered them.
Think of a wedding for instance. In countries like Ethiopia and India, it is an multiple day process. A lot of relatives and friends spend significant time and money around weddings. When I was younger and didn't understand it all, it seemed like a lot of unnecessary drama.
When I was graduating from college, I was excited about walking across the stage. Though many people would consider that process theater, to me it was the mark of my journey of many years. The GPA, the degree, the skills I learnt and time I spent to get to that point wasn't easy. I wanted to properly celebrate that accomplishment.
There is something emotional about ceremonies that acknowledge moments in our lives. Weddings, funerals, graduation ceremonies, the Oscars are all such events. It could be theater for some and an episodic moment for another. Depends on the sweat, tears and blood invested.
