Australia’s Rites of Passage

Abstract

Australia in the Twentieth Century was, as it continues to be, a place of culture, diversity and history; many of its traditions were adopted and developed from its original British and European heritage and from the influences of various cultural migrant groups. The same can be said for Australia's rites of passage. This can be seen through our implementation of celebrations such as the Bar Mitzvah; the Samskara, a series of Sacraments in Hinduism; and First Confession, First Eucharist and Confirmation from Catholicism. At immediate glance, it might not seem that our nation has any specifically Australian rites of passage; however, a longer look a secular practices reveals that several, although most likely shared with other countries, have taken on a form that has allowed them to become part of our national identity over the last 200 years.