Celebrate Womanhood

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"I woke up late that Sunday although I had to attend a wedding. When my mom yelled at me for my sluggishness. I went into the bathroom to bathe and started crying bitterly at the sight of my blood stained skirt. For a second, I thought I was suffering from cancer, and I am not going to survive for long. Mom rushed into the bathroom closed the door behind her and she joined the sad saga hugging me. By now I was sure that these are my end days. But, then she hushed and asked me to stay calm. She said nothing was wrong and that I have grown up to a healthy woman. Woman sounded a big word for me then, as I was still a girl who cuddled with dolls, played in rain, ran around the playground to catch butterflies and freaked with the slightest noise at night. It was my first menses."

Welcome to womanhood.

Every woman treasures the experience of the first menses for her lifetime. I am 21 now and I remember every bit of it after 8 long years and I am sure to tell this story to my grandchildren about my first innocent expression at the step of womanhood.

Every religion and state has its own way of welcoming a girl to the phase of womanhood and making her first experience a lifetime memory. Some rituals make you feel embarrassed and hesitant, while others make you feel proud and special. Here are some of the wonderful expressions of this phase of life of women from all over the world.

Russia:
According to the Russian tradition a girl's mother was in charge of performing the rituals at the daughters first menses. When the mother learnt that her daughter had her first menses, she would slap her hard across the face, so that the face might redden, as a flush on the face is the sign of good health. Fearing the torture most of the girls tried to hide it from their mothers. Though a weird way of saluting womanhood, some people even today believe in the magic power of motherly smack.

Nepal:
In Nepal the girl is secluded in a dark room she is not allowed to see any men not even the sun. She is then married to the sun with the ritual ceremonies. Menstruation marks a transition of a girl from pre sexual to a sexual being.

Zulu:
Even here the girl is secluded with her mates. She is asked to respect and avoid certain foods. A goat is slaughtered on that day. She wakes up early in the morning and goes to the river to have bath accompanied with her age mates and she is smeared with red clay all over her body. The elders, relatives and her age mates who have passed through that phase teach her lessons about new life of adulthood.

India:
In most part of India, menarche is a time of celebration. She is gifted with clothes and jewellery. The family feasts with friends and relatives and sing shouts of joy. For instance in Andhra Pradesh girl is made to wear a ghagra choli or langa voni in the first part of the ceremony and then her attire is changed to a classy look with a sari and traditional south Indian jewellery. This symbolizes her transition from girl to womanhood. Friends and relatives bless her for a bright future.

Japan:
Family and friends are invited to a party, but they are not told the reason for the party. The secret is disclosed after a decorated pear, candid apple or red colored rice and beans are brought to the girl on a tray,

The changing phase of the girls life can be made a special moment. Celebrate it to let her treasure the sweet memory for the rest of her life. Make her feel special than a phase of insecurity, distress and shame.

Today many families have discovered the need of celebrating this phase as a necessity to let their little daughter know her responsibilities as a woman and feel proud for she is know cable to give new life. Educate your daughter before she goes through this phase, as a sweet moment of great experience that she will learn to accept life with its oddities and welcome it with smile than surprise or humility. So lets party and feel proud of being a woman.

To end with a rejoicing song, sung by the Apache people during the maturation ceremony,
"Now you are entering the world.
You will become adult with responsibilities...
Walk with honour and dignity.
Be strong!
For you are the mother of our people...
For you will become the mother of a nation."