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to Womanhood Ceremony
When my daughter had her first menses I felt the need to acknowledge the event in a special way and formally welcome her to womanhood. I felt that it was too important of a transition to let it pass with little acknowledgment. I wanted my daughter to hear about the joys and responsibilities of being a woman, and the challenges women face. I wanted a ceremony that would acknowledge the women who have been important to my daughter, helping me raise her from a child to a woman, and make her feel part of this group of women in a new way. I wanted her to feel she could have the support of these special women in her life as she made this transition.
The ceremony gave all of this and so much more than I expected for my daughter, my sisters, my mother, my friends, and myself. It resulted in being not only a ceremony for my daughter but the ceremony we all missed at her age: a passage to womanhood. The ceremony created a special bond among all of the women present. After the ceremony my daughter walked among the women with the pride of acceptance.
At that time I had not read or heard of anyone doing a ceremony for their daughter. When I mentioned it to my mother and sisters, they had read about celebrations for this passage. After a couple of months in the library I put together a unique ceremony for my daughter. We have since used the same ceremony for other members of the family and now wish to share it with others. Ultimately we hope to end the silence, shame and embarrassment that accompanies the first period for many young women and instead make it a time to honor, celebrate, and acknowledge a young woman as she makes the transition from child to woman, initiated by the her first menses.
The ceremony described in our book is appropriate for families of varied religious and cultural backgrounds. People can re-create the ceremony we have described but we feel many families will want to add their own special ideas.
The ceremony is usually held shortly after a young women has had her first menses but it is just as meaningful at any time during the teen years. The purpose of the ceremony is to formally welcome your daughter to womanhood and let her know that she belongs to and has the support of a very special circle of women. It honors a young woman's change and encourages understanding, acceptance and sharing among her circle of women.
The ceremony is usually hosted by the young woman's mother, but it can also be hosted by girl scout leaders, aunts, grandmothers, mentors, or any woman. It can also be hosted by a father who has played the mothering role in his daughter's life.
The guests are women who have played important roles in the young woman's life - her relatives, godmother, mentors and close family friends.
The women share their thoughts about the challenges, joys and responsibilities of being a woman. A ceremonial atmosphere is created by having the women sit in a circle around an altar of symbolic of womanhood on a ceremonial cloth. Three candles are lit representing the generations of women. Music provided on a tape cassette sets the appropriate mood for the ceremony. Light snacks or hors-d'oeuvres are served after the ceremony.
First Moon®: Passage to Womanhood ceremonial
kit provides complete instructions and ceremonial instruments for celebrating
this important transition.
Picture of kit
The kit contains an easily readable, hand-held size booklet providing complete instructions for the ceremony. Chapter headings are:
1. Welcome
2. Introduction
3. The Need for a Ceremony
4. History of Menarche Ceremonies
5. Creation of Our Ceremony
6. Preparation of the Ceremony
7. Instructions for the Young Woman
8. Planning the Ceremony
9. Setting up the First Moon®: Passage to Womanhood Ceremony
10. Last Words
11. Invitation to Share Your Experiences
12. Suggested Reading
The kit contains the instruction booklet, a CD of original music appropriate for the ceremony plus instructions, custom invitations for the guests and a special invitation commemorating the ceremony for the young woman, a ceremonial cloth, candles, and a speaking stone enclosed in a velvet pouch.
If you have an event that you would like to mention here, please email: brooke@celebrategirls.com. I will happily display it. Be sure to put the city, state and country.