9 – Coming of Age Day

[vilakins]

What does coming of age mean to you? What, if any, coming of age ceremonies or rituals are practiced where you live?

I'm only doing the ones that appeal (and don't assume I live on the northern half of the planet) but even so, this is a day late.

We can drive at 16 and vote at 18 (though I think that's going down to 16 soon) and the current age of majority is 20, google tells me, but we don't celebrate any of those. Instead 21st birthdays are a big thing. People have big boozy parties with their friends and it's traditional to be given a golden key, a stupidly huge decorative one, or a small pendant, though I have no idea what it's supposed to open. I didn't have a 21st since I was at uni and, introvert that I am, I was happy about that.

OK, I googled it. Until 1970 in Aotearoa NZ, 21 was the age of majority, when a person became legally independent of all parental control. The key thing is because at 21 you were considered old enough to be a key-holder to your family's home. Weird that it's still celebrated.

Well, that was fascinating. /sarcasm

Comments

[zoefruitcake]

I find it interesting that there are so many different ages for different things. I couldn't remember what age we are allowed to vote from, I mean it is 18 now but was it 18 when I was younger? Turns out it changed from 21 to 18 in 1969, so before I was born

[vilakins]

I had to look up the driving one as I have a vague idea it was 15 when I was a kid. The voting one potentially going down to 16 has been in the news, so I knew that one.

Do they do 21st birthdays as a big thing in the UK?

[zoefruitcake]

I remember reading a book set in NZ (maybe in the 70s?) and the girl was driving at 15.
21 was a bigger deal when I was young than it is now. I remember parties for friends

[vilakins]

I suspect people have them now because their parents had them and throw them for their kids, or pure tradition. A couple of relatives had them not so long ago but for all I know they may finally be dying out.

[imhilien]

I had a 21st birthday put on for me eons ago. There was karaoke and baby photos were brought out. Argh.

[vilakins]

Yeah, I think my relative was a bit embarrassed by the party his parents put on (and that had karaoke too, but he and his brother enjoyed that). I was glad to be away from home because mine would have definitely been cringey.

[jhall1]

Traditions hang on a long time. Becoming 21 is still celebrated here in the UK, even though - much as in NZ - 16 and 18 are the significant ages regarding what you are allowed to do and have been for quite some time.

[vilakins]

It's strange, isn't it. Maybe the number 21 itself is a factor too?\, being a multiple of 3 and 7 and odd to boot.