Find out now what people in other cultures do when a girl has her first period. In many countries a girl's first menstrual period does not just pass, but whole rituals are performed.
One girl is ashamed of it, the other girl doesn't care much about it and thinks it's just part of getting older. The fact is that sooner or later every girl will have to believe it and get her first period. The time when this happens for the first time depends on a number of factors. Age, physique, environment/country in which the girl grows up, but also the food.
Since Suriname has various cultures, there are various rituals, depending on the culture to which a girl belongs. And not only culture, but also religion play an important role in this. It is important to note that especially in the Creole culture it is striking that a woman is unclean for seven days, regardless of whether the menstrual period actually lasts that long. When people stick to the old-fashioned rules, a Creole woman is not allowed during this period:
– Sleeping in the same bed as her husband
– Not cooking for her husband
– She is not allowed to touch her husband
This Indian tribe, who lives in the interior of Suriname, has a rather painful ritual. Girls who have their first period have to undergo the so-called ant test (Maké). Wicker mats containing large red forest ants are pressed against the girl's body. As a sign that the girl is no longer a child, but is on the eve of adulthood, the girl must not make a sound.
The ritual lasts three minutes. However, there are plenty of girls who pass out from the pain during this ritual. In the run-up to adulthood, boys also have to undergo this test in their early puberty. Wasps are sometimes used instead of ants.
This ritual was demonstrated a few years ago in the center of Paramaribo during the celebration of National Independence Day. Although it was very brave of these girls to undergo this ritual, when there were so many people around them, I personally didn't think it was appropriate.
The Creoles have their origin in Africa and have therefore brought various rituals from this continent. It goes without saying that the rituals are somewhat different than perhaps originally intended. Another big difference lies in whether the girl who has her first period has converted parents to Christianity or parents who are more likely to adhere to the ancient African Winti faith. In some cases, special prayers are said for the girl. To wish a good and fruitful life, the girl is given a boiled egg and a glass of red lemonade. In addition, she gets a gold ring that should protect her against evil influences.
The Javanese population has its own ritual again:the jaran képang dance. This is a ritual horse dance in which the dancers go into a trance, portray animals and, for example, eat glass or glowing coals. The dance is essentially a traditional cultural practice with both sociological and mystical implications. The dance is only performed on special occasions, including a girl's first menstrual period.
Although Suriname is a country in which many cultures are represented, there are still plenty of countries where all kinds of rituals are performed around a girl's first period. Here is a list of some notable rituals worth mentioning:
In Japan, the family eats red colored rice and beans when a girl has her first period.
The Aboriginal Australians teach the girl who will first have her period all about the feminine powers and the physical changes that the girl will undergo. So now is the time for Aboriginal girls to receive sex education.
The rituals in Africa differ not only per country, but even per tribe and faith. Below you can see how menstruation works in Kenya.
The different Indian tribes in North America also have various rituals surrounding the first menstruation of a girl.
The Navajos :Girls have to show their strength by running a competition barefoot. The girl in question is also dressed in a special way and the entire tribe is treated to a special corn custard.
The Nootkas :this tribe also measures the strength of a girl. The girl is taken to the open sea and left alone. The girl will have to return to shore under her own power. Everyone is waiting for her there full of excitement and enthusiasm.
The Mescalero Apaches :celebrate once a year for 8 days to remember every girl who had her first period in that year. This happens in the first four days through public celebrations where the boys sing about the history of their people. The other four days are celebrated in private.
As stated before, rituals depend on a number of factors, this also applies to the rituals surrounding the first menstruation. Jewish girls as well as Hindus and Muslims are considered to be fertile from the time of the first menstruation. That is the time to be trained to be a good wife to her husband later on.
Unfortunately, in less developed countries, arranged marriages also take place, which are enforced after a girl's first menstrual period. That is of course very wrong, because most girls are still a child at the first menstruation.
Although there are no real rituals here, a Muslim girl who has her first period will change her life drastically. From that moment on, there is no more playing outside. Contact with boys/men other than her own brothers and father is out of the question. From the first menstruation, the Muslim girl has made the transition to being a woman. From that moment on she learns to do the housework, to cook and everything necessary to be a good wife to her husband.
Did your parents do anything special when you had your period?
