rite of passage

Images

Pompeii: wall painting

initiation ritual

Discover

Demystified - Do Lemmings Really Commit Mass Suicide? illustration

Do Lemmings Really Commit Mass Suicide?

Ruminant. Deer. Red deer. Cervus elaphus. Buck. Stag. Antlers.

9 of the World’s Deadliest Mammals

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addresses marchers during his "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. August 28th 1963

Was Martin Luther King, Jr., a Republican or a Democrat?

United States Presidential Election of 2012. Mitt Romney. Official portrait of President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, Dec. 6, 2012 after his reelection Nov. 6, 2012. Official portrait Obama

10 Democrats Who Made History

Secret Service Agent Listens To Earpiece

Secret Service Code Names of 11 U.S. Presidents

A tornado in rural Iowa sweeps dangerously near a farm. Weather storm

Why Does the United States Have More Tornadoes than Any Other Country?

Indian hijras participate in a religious procession in Gandhinagar, India, some 30 kilometers from Ahmedabad, on March 22, 2017. Hijra is a term used in South Asia which refers to transgender individuals who are born male. (gender identity, gender expression)

6 Cultures That Recognize More than Two Genders

rite of passage: Facts & Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	passage rite

Photos

Pompeii: wall painting

initiation ritual

See All Images →

Topics

death rite birth rite coming-of-age rite initiation rite marriage rite prom rumspringa human composting cryonics hazing sacrifice purification rite sacrament consecration baptism anointment gift exchange exorcism triumph first-fruits ceremony

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Key People

Arnold van Gennep

French anthropologist