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  • Members of her husbands family dance for a young mother and present her with gifts when she emerges and shows hereself at the end of her first childbirth ritual. Palau, Micronesia, in February, 2005. For five days prior to this coming-out ceremony, the young mother has twice daily been given hot cleansing baths by a medicine woman. Every Palauan woman goes through a first childbirth ritual, a ngasech, two to three months after giving birth for the first time. The grass skirt which this woman is wearing is made of wool.
    4909.jpg
  • A Hamar man ritually whips a young woman at a bull jump, a ritual at which a man runs across the backs of a row of bullocks in order to become eligible for marriage, in South Omo, Ethiopia. The initiate's sisters and female cousins ask the maz, men who have performed the bull jump but have yet to marry, to whip them, an act which shows the young women’s love and devotion to their brothers. To protect their breasts from stray strokes, the women nowadays wear cotton singlet’s during the ritual. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5408.jpg
  • A Hamar man’s face is painted before taking part in a bull jump, in South Omo, Ethiopia. The bull jump is a ritual at which a man runs across the backs of a row of bullocks in order to become eligible for marriage. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5411.jpg
  • Dani women engaging in a ritual mud battle during a girl's hotaly, her first menstruation ceremony, in the Baliem Valley, Papua Region, Indonesia. The mud battle takes place after a night of singing and dancing in the cooking house of the settlement where the girl lives.
    3063.jpg
  • Young Hamar men and women take part in a courtship dance after a bull jumping ritual, in South Omo, Ethiopia. The bull jump is a ritual at which a man runs over a row of bullocks in order to become eligible for marriage, and the erotic dances that follow continue all night and into the following morning. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse South Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5421.jpg
  • A Hamar man’s face is painted before taking part in a bull jump, in South Omo, Ethiopia. The bull jump is a ritual at which a man runs across the backs of a row of bullocks in order to become eligible for marriage. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5410.jpg
  • While men hold a row of bullocks still a Hamar initiate runs over their backs at a bull jumping ritual, in South Omo, Ethiopia. By successfully completing the bull jump a Hamar man becomes eligible for marriage. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse South Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5418.jpg
  • Sisters and female cousins of a young Hamar man who will to perform the bull jump, a ritual making him eligible for marriage, show their devotion to him by dancing and singing about their excitement about his forth-coming jump in South Omo, Ethiopia. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5402.jpg
  • While men hold a row of bullocks still a Hamar initiate runs over their backs at a bull jumping ritual, in South Omo, Ethiopia. By successfully completing the bull jump a Hamar man becomes eligible for marriage. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse South Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5419.jpg
  • Xhosa male initiates at a homecoming ritual celebrating their return after one month in seclusion. December 2006 in Ciskei, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. They have received turbans to cover their shaven heads and have had red ochre mixed with butter – a symbol of masculinity – applied to their skin. The traditional Xhosa male initiation, which transforms the teenager into an adult man, starts with circumcision. The initiate then spends about a month in an initiation camp, away from settled areas.
    5446.jpg
  • Hamar women serve millet porridge at a feast held after a bull jump, in South Omo, Ethiopia. The bull jump is a ritual at which a man runs over a row of bullocks in order to become eligible for marriage. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse South Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5420.jpg
  • A Hamar man taking part in a bull jump in South Omo, Ethiopia. The bull jump is ritual at which a young man runs across the backs of a number of bullocks in order to become eligible for marriage. The man is a maz, somebody who has performed the bull jump but has yet to marry, and he is recognized as such by the strip of bark around his head and his painted face. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5407.jpg
  • Girls and their mothers scatter grains of rice as an offering to the gods while a priest conducts the rituals for the girls’ Ihi ceremony, a mock marriage to the Hindu god Vishnu, in Patan in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Among the Newars, who are the original inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley, every girl goes through this ceremony sometime between the age of five and ten. The Ihi makes the girl a full member of her father's family and caste and is also said to make sure that she will never become a widow, even if later on her future human husband would die, since she will forever be married to the god Vishnu. The Ihi is therefore for the Newar women a protection against the stigmatization of widows otherwise common in Hindu culture.
    4359.jpg
  • Jewish boys wearing kippah, or scullcap, during a girl's bat mitzvah, her coming-of-age ritual, at Temple Avoda, a Reform synagogue, in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, USA.
    5487.jpg
  • Respectful bows from the family and the priest end a shichi-go-san ritual inside the Aoto Jinja shrine in Tokyo, Japan. During shichi-go-san, literally seven-five-three, parents dress their daughters aged three and seven and sons aged five in traditional costume and take them to a Shinto shrine to be blessed.
    5160.jpg
  • After giving her a prayer shawl and blessing, the rabbi talks to a Jewish girl before she goes through her bat mitzvah, her coming-of-age ritual, at her Reform Jewish synagogue in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, USA. After this she will enter the synagogue hall to read extracts from the Torah, the holy scriptures, to the congregation. Jewish tradition dictates that a girl comes of age at twelve, though in Reform and Conservative Jewish congregations they usually become bat mitzvahs at thirteen, the same age as boys.
    5481.jpg
  • A young boy and his  parents get ready to pose for the camera in a photographer's studio before going to a Shinto shrine for the boy's shichi-go-san ritual in Tokyo, Japan. During shichi-go-san, literally seven-five-three, parents dress their daughters aged three and seven and sons aged five in traditional costume and take them to a Shinto shrine to be blessed.
    5164.jpg
  • A female member of her fiancé's family applies red ochre and butter to a bride-to-be's hair, shoulders and chest at a Hamar couple's betrothal ceremony, in South Omo, Ethiopia. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse South Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5425.jpg
  • A Hamar bride-to-be takes of her fiancé's bark headband and hangs it in a tree during the couple's betrothal ceremony, in South Omo, Ethiopia. The ceremony is supervised by the young man's uncle. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse South Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5423.jpg
  • A mother nurses her baby daughter during a break from one of the many hot baths required for her ngasech, the traditional ceremony that all women in Palau undergo after having given birth for the first time. Palau, Micronesia, in February, 2005.
    4903.jpg
  • A Hamar female dancer at a bull jump, a ritual at which a young man runs across the backs of a number of bullocks in order to become eligible for marriage, in South Omo, Ethiopia. The antelope skin and metal necklace indicate that she is married, while her belt studded with cowry shells shows she is a mother. Her hair and neck are coated in butter and red ochre and she has scarifications on her arms and shoulders. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5403.jpg
  • A Hamar man sits on his stool while waiting for a bull jump to begin in South Omo, Ethiopia. The bull jump is ritual at which a young man runs across the backs of a number of bullocks in order to become eligible for marriage. The man is a maz, somebody who has performed the bull jump but has yet to marry, and he is recognized as such by the strip of bark around his head. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5406.jpg
  • A young Hamar man with painted face who takes part in a bull jump, a ritual at which a man runs across the backs of a row of bullocks in order to become eligible for marriage, in South Omo, Ethiopia. The man is a maz, somebody who has completed the bull jump but has yet to marry, and the painted rings around his eyes show that he performed the jump eight days ago. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5413.jpg
  • The day before a reburial ceremony in Belaveno, Bezanozano Ethnic Area, Madagascar, a ritual is held at the tomb to inform the deceased to be ready. Rum is poured on the grave as an offering. The famadihana, the Madagascan reburial ceremony, is a custom in the highlands of Madagascar. The purpose of the ritual is to induce the ancestors to impart their blessings to their descendants, as without those blessings one cannot have a good life. The famadihana is held during the cooler half of the year, when the dead are said to be freezing in their graves and therefore need new clothing.
    5094f.jpg
  • Newar girl in ceremonial clothes at her Ihi ceremony, a mock marriage to the Hindu god Vishnu, in Patan in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Among the Newars, who are the original inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley, every girl goes through this ceremony sometime between the age of five and ten. The Ihi makes the girl a full member of her father's family and caste and is also said to make sure that she will never become a widow, even if later on her future human husband would die, since she will forever be married to the god Vishnu. The Ihi is therefore for the Newar women a protection against the stigmatization of widows otherwise common in Hindu culture.
    4518.jpg
  • A Hamar woman participating in a bull jump, a ritual at which a man runs across the backs of a row of bullocks in order to become eligible for marriage, gets help from a female friend to soothe her scars with butter, in South Omo, Ethiopia. The woman, who is a close relative of the initiate, has been ritually whipped by maz, men who have performed the bull jump but have yet to marry. The Hamar view a scarified back as proof of a woman's love and devotion to her brothers. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5409.jpg
  • Hamar men hold bullocks still during a bull jump, in South Omo, Ethiopia. The bull jump is a ritual at which a man runs across the backs of a row of bullocks in order to become eligible for marriage. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5417.jpg
  • A young Hamar man shortly before his bull jump, a ritual making him eligible to marry, in South Omo, Ethiopia. The milk calabash in his hand will be useful in the months ahead as he is only allowed to drink milk and eat meat and honey until he is engaged to be married. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5401.jpg
  • Before his bull jump a Hamar initiate wanders naked among the herd, in South Omo, Ethiopia. The bull jump is a ritual at which a man runs across the backs of a row of bullocks in order to become eligible for marriage. Nudity represents his death and rebirth, as he is about to assume a new social role. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5416.jpg
  • A Hamar woman bugling and dancing at a bull jump, a ritual at which a young man runs across the backs of a number of bullocks in order to become eligible for marriage, in South Omo, Ethiopia. Her hair and neck are coated in butter and red ochre. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5405.jpg
  • Two Hamar women dance at a bull jump, a ritual at which a young man runs across the backs of a number of bullocks in order to become eligible for marriage, in South Omo, Ethiopia. Their hair and neck are coated in butter and red ochre and they have scarifications on their arms and shoulders. A blue cotton singlet and safety-pin necklace add a touch of modernity to the dress of one of the women. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5404.jpg
  • Tucked into his loincloth a young Hamar carries a boko, a phallic symbol showing that he will soon perform the bull jump, a ritual making him eligible to marry, in South Omo, Ethiopia. The knots on the string mark the number of days until the young man's jump. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5400.jpg
  • The male members of the family enter the grave and wrap the remains of the dead in new shrouds during a reburial ceremony in Belaveno, Bezanozano Ethnic Area, Madagascar. The famadihana, the Madagascan reburial ceremony, is a custom in the highlands of Madagascar. The purpose of the ritual is to induce the ancestors to impart their blessings to their descendants, as without those blessings one cannot have a good life. The famadihana is held during the cooler half of the year, when the dead are said to be freezing in their graves and therefore need new clothing.
    5101.jpg
  • Guests attending a reburial ceremony in Belaveno, Bezanozano Ethnic Area, Madagascar, are served food by the host family. The famadihana, the Madagascan reburial ceremony, is a custom in the highlands of Madagascar. The purpose of the ritual is to induce the ancestors to impart their blessings to their descendants, as without those blessings one cannot have a good life. The famadihana is held during the cooler half of the year, when the dead are said to be freezing in their graves and therefore need new clothing.
    5093.jpg
  • After dancing with the dead at a reburial ceremony in Belaveno, Bezanozano Ethnic Area, Madagascar, the bodies are returned to the family tomb which is then sealed until the next burial or reburial. The famadihana, the Madagascan reburial ceremony, is a custom in the highlands of Madagascar. The purpose of the ritual is to induce the ancestors to impart their blessings to their descendants, without which they cannot have a good life. The famadihana is held during the cooler half of the year, when the dead are said to be freezing in their graves and therefore need new clothing.
    5109.jpg
  • The male members of a family check the remains of the dead inside a grave opened for a reburial ceremony in the highlands south of the capital of Antananarivo, Madagascar. The famadihana, the Madagascan reburial ceremony, is a custom in the highlands of Madagascar. The purpose of the ritual is to induce the ancestors to impart their blessings to their descendants, as without those blessings one cannot have a good life. The famadihana is held during the cooler half of the year, when the dead are said to be freezing in their graves and therefore need new clothing.
    5114.jpg
  • A medicine woman gives a young mother a hot medicinal bath during her ngasech, her first childbirth ceremony, in Palau, Micronesia. The mother has been anointed with coconut oil and yellow turmeric and the water is thrown at her with a cup made of a coconut shell. The purpose of the bath is to heal her skin, remove stretch marks and blemishes, and also to clean the inside of her private parts. Practically every Palauan woman goes through the ngasech ceremony, begun one to three months after she has given birth to her first child. The ceremony consists of hot baths, taken twice daily for five to ten days, depending on the clan of the new mother, and then a sweat bath on the day of her coming out ceremony when she is dressed up and shown to the family of the father of her child.
    4902f.jpg
  • A family grave is opened at a reburial ceremony in Belaveno, Bezanozano Ethnic Area, Madagascar. The famadihana, the Madagascan reburial ceremony, is a custom in the highlands of Madagascar. The purpose of the ritual is to induce the ancestors to impart their blessings to their descendants, as without those blessings one cannot have a good life. The famadihana is held during the cooler half of the year, when the dead are said to be freezing in their graves and therefore need new clothing.
    5100.jpg
  • On the final day of her ngasech, the traditional first childbirth ceremony, a young mother in Palau, Micronesia, is dressed up and anointed with cocnut oil and turmeric by a medicine woman. Practically every Palauan woman goes through the ngasech ceremony, begun one to three months after she has given birth to her first child. The ceremony consists of hot baths, taken twice daily for five to ten days, depending on the clan of the new mother, and then a sweat bath on the day of her coming out ceremony when she is dressed up and shown to the family of the father of her child. The purpose of the baths is to heal her skin, remove stretch marks and blemishes, and also to clean the inside of her private parts.
    4907f.jpg
  • A medicine woman sorts the herbs for a steam bath that she will administer to a young mother who has given birth for the first time. Palau, Micronesia, in February, 2005. The bath is part of the ngasech, the traditional ceremony that all women in Palau undergo after having given birth for the first time.
    4914.jpg
  • Newar girl in ceremonial clothes at her Ihi ceremony, a mock marriage to the Hindu god Vishnu, in Patan in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Among the Newars, who are the original inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley, every girl goes through this ceremony sometime between the age of five and ten. The Ihi makes the girl a full member of her father's family and caste and is also said to make sure that she will never become a widow, even if later on her future human husband would die, since she will forever be married to the god Vishnu. The Ihi is therefore for the Newar women a protection against the stigmatization of widows otherwise common in Hindu culture.
    4356.jpg
  • Two bark headbands hang in a betrothal tree in Hamar territory, in South Omo, Ethiopia. During the Hamar betrothal ceremony, the bride takes off her fiancé's headband and hangs it in a special tree used for the purpose. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse South Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
    5424.jpg
  • A mother nurses her baby daughter during a break from one of the many hot baths required for her ngasech, the traditional ceremony that all women in Palau undergo after having given birth for the first time. Palau, Micronesia, in February, 2005.
    4917f.jpg
  • The final part of a reburial ceremony in Belaveno, Bezanozano Ethnic Area, Madagascar. When the dead have been restored to their resting place, their closest relatives go down to talk to them and bid a final farewell. Then they are covered in a new shroud and the tomb is sealed. The famadihana, the Madagascan reburial ceremony, is a custom in the highlands of Madagascar. The purpose of the ritual is to induce the ancestors to impart their blessings to their descendants, as without those blessings one cannot have a good life. The famadihana is held during the cooler half of the year, when the dead are said to be freezing in their graves and therefore need new clothing.
    5110.jpg
  • Dancing with the dead at a reburial ceremony in Belaveno, Bezanozano Ethnic Area, Madagascar. The family roll the bodies in straw mats and then carry them aloft in a dance round the tomb. The famadihana, the Madagascan reburial ceremony, is a custom in the highlands of Madagascar. The purpose of the ritual is to induce the ancestors to impart their blessings to their descendants, as without those blessings one cannot have a good life. The famadihana is held during the cooler half of the year, when the dead are said to be freezing in their graves and therefore need new clothing.
    5107f.jpg
  • A bull slaughtered to feed the guests attending a reburial ceremony in Belaveno, Bezanozano Ethnic Area, Madagascar. The famadihana, the Madagascan reburial ceremony, is a custom in the highlands of Madagascar. The purpose of the ritual is to induce the ancestors to impart their blessings to their descendants, as without those blessings one cannot have a good life. The famadihana is held during the cooler half of the year, when the dead are said to be freezing in their graves and therefore need new clothing.
    5091.jpg
  • The aunt of a Newar girl prepares her for her Ihi ceremony, a mock marriage to the Hindu god Vishnu, in Patan in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Among the Newars, who are the original inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley, every girl goes through this ceremony sometime between the age of five and ten. The Ihi makes the girl a full member of her father's family and caste and is also said to make sure that she will never become a widow, even if later on her future human husband would die, since she will forever be married to the god Vishnu. The Ihi is therefore for the Newar women a protection against the stigmatization of widows otherwise common in Hindu culture.
    4351.jpg
  • A young Xhosa initiate, going through his homecoming ritual after a month in seclusion, is swathed in a blanket and holds a stick that has been blackened by the smoke in the initiation hut. December 2006 in Ciskei, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. He keeps the stick for the rest of his life as proof that he has attained manhood. The traditional Xhosa male initiation rite, which transforms the teenager into an adult man, starts with circumcision. The initiates then spend about a month in a special initiation camp, away from settled areas.
    5444.jpg
  • A three-and-a-half-year-old boy waits to be circumcised at his home in Istanbul, Turkey. He is younger than the usual circumcision age because his parents want him to undergo the ritual together with his older brother.  Custom dictates that boys are dressed up as small sultans or princes at their circumcision, and the cloaks and hats and sceptres of the two boys are scattered on the sofa on which the boy is sitting. The boy will be circumcised by a licensed circumciser.
    5218f.jpg
  • Two young Xhosa male initiates, who have just returned home as men after one month of seclusion, are having their faces painted red by their guardian and teacher in Khayalethu South Township, Knysna, South Africa, in December, 2006. As initiates they were first circumcised, and they then spent one month in a special initiation camp, away from the normal living areas. For one week they will now wear red facial paint, a turban, long trousers, a shirt and a jacket, all signs that they have become men. When the week is over, the turban will be changed for a cap, which will then be worn for another six months.
    5439.jpg
  • Xhosa women sing and dance while welcoming home young male family members, who have spent one month in an initiation camp, where they have been circumcised and initiated into manhood. The township Khayalethu South in Knysna, South Africa, in December 2006.
    5436.jpg
  • A young Xhosa woman helps a male relative, who has just returned home after one month in seclusion in an initiation camp, to adjust his turban. December 2006 in Khayalethu South Township, Knysna, South Africa. The young man, and his cousin seen in the background, have been circumcised and initiated into manhood. Following local tradition, they will wear red facial paint, a turban, long trousers, a shirt and a jacket for one week after returning home. Then they will change the turban into a cap.
    5437.jpg
  • A Jewish girl performs her bat mitzvah, her coming of age ceremony, at Temple Avoda, a Reform synagogue, in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, USA. The girl carries the holy Torah scrolls through the synagogue  after reading extracts to the congregation. Jewish tradition dictates that a girl comes of age at twelve, though in Reform and Conservative Jewish congregations they usually become bat mitzvahs at thirteen, the same age as boys.
    5479.jpg
  • A girl has her hair fixed in traditional style for her shichi-go-san in Tokyo, Japan. During shichi-go-san, literally seven-five-three, parents dress their daughters aged three and seven and sons aged five in traditional costume and take them to a Shinto shrine to be blessed.
    5154.jpg
  • A mother captures the moment when a photographer takes a picture of her daughter after she has gone through the shichi-go-san ceremony at the Heian Jingu shrine, in Kyoto, Japan. During shichi-go-san, literally seven-five-three, parents dress their daughters aged three and seven and sons aged five in traditional costume and take them to a Shinto shrine to be blessed.
    5180.jpg
  • Two girls hold bags of ”thousand year sweets”, long pieces of candy symbolising longevity, which have been given to them at their shichi-go-san, in Tokyo, Japan. During shichi-go-san, literally seven-five-three, parents dress their daughters aged three and seven and sons aged five in traditional costume and take them to a Shinto shrine to be blessed.
    5162.jpg
  • A shichi-go-san ceremony ends with a miko, a Shinto shrine maiden, producing the music of the gods to impart health and good fortune, in Tokyo, Japan. During shichi-go-san, literally seven-five-three, parents dress their daughters aged three and seven and sons aged five in traditional costume and take them to a Shinto shrine to be blessed.
    5167.jpg
  • Guided by her rabbi a Jewish girl practices reading from the Torah, the five books of Moses, in preparation for her bat mitzvah, her coming of age ceremony, in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, USA. Jewish tradition dictates that a girl comes of age at twelve, though in Reform and Conservative Jewish congregations they usually become bat mitzvahs at thirteen, the same age as boys.
    5480.jpg
  • On the Monday before his bar mitzvah recital, a Jewish boy in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, USA, takes part in morning prayers at his Conservative Jewish synagogue. He also reads from the Torah, and afterwards the cantor (to his left) leads the congregation in singing a hymn. In Judaism, a boy comes of age at thirteen, when he becomes a bar mitzvah and assumes responsibility for his own actions.
    5483.jpg
  • On the Monday before his bar mitzvah recital, a Jewish boy in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, USA, takes part in morning prayers at his Conservative Jewish synagogue. He will also read from the Torah, and before he begins he carries the scrolls round the synagogue. In Judaism, a boy comes of age at thirteen, when he becomes a bar mitzvah and assumes responsibility for his own actions.
    5482.jpg
  • Two young boys and their older brother just before their shichi-go-san in the Meiji Jingu shrine, in Tokyo, Japan. During shichi-go-san, literally seven-five-three, parents dress their daughters aged three and seven and sons aged five in traditional costume and take them to a Shinto shrine to be blessed. Sometimes boys perform the ceremony at the age of three, though in bygone times they were not supposed to wear hakama trousers until they were older.
    5169.jpg
  • Friends join a Jewish bat mitzvah girl in party games in New Jersey, USA. She belongs to a Reform Jewish synagogue, where Sabbath observance rules are less strict than among Conservative or Orthodox congregations, and her reception is held straight after the synagogue ceremony.
    5486.jpg
  • Performing the traditional  horah, where everyone dances in a circle and holds the boy up in a chair, a Jewish boy's bar mitzvah is celebrated the day after the ceremony was held in his Conservative synagogue in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, USA. Since the ceremony was performed on a Sabbath the party could not be held on the same day. In Judaism, a boy comes of age at thirteen, when he becomes a bar mitzvah and assumes responsibility for his own actions.
    5485.jpg
  • Celebrating the bar mitzvah of a Jewish boy the day after the bar mitzvah ceremony was held in his Conservative synagogue in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, USA.  Since the ceremony was performed on a Sabbath the party could not be held on the same day. In Judaism a boy comes of age at thirteen, when he becomes a bar mitzvah and assumes responsibility for his own actions.
    5484.jpg
  • Apache Indians dance at a Sunrise Dance, the first menstruation ceremony of an Apache girl, on the San Carlos Apache Reservation, Arizona, USA. Behind the girl, who is dressed in buckskin clothes, the medicine man and his helpers sing and beat their drums. The long row of cartons filled with snacks and drinks, in front of the girl, symbolises a life without material want. The rites are supposed to prepare the girl for adulthood and to give her a long and healthy life. During the rites the girl also becomes Changing Woman, a mythical female figure, and comes into possession of her healing powers.
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  • A coffin containing a deceased Roma man is carried into the family yard and towards the entrance of his home in the village of Valea Seaca in Bacau County, Romania, while closely related women cry out their grief. Inside the house the lid will be taken off, so that family and friends can spend time with the deceased during the wake which will go on for three days.
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  • The head of a close male relative of the deceased is shaved before the cremations starts at Manikarnika Ghat, the main cremation site of Varanasi, India
    4703.jpg
  • A newly circumcised boy dances with relatives and neighbors at a henna party held in the courtyard outside the family home in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 24, 2006. As is the custom, the boy is dressed in a sultan's outfit.
    5247f.jpg
  • A family calls down the spirit of a dead family member with the help of incense at Todos Santos or All Saints Day in Oruro, Bolivia. An altar has been built at home, and it is the father of the dead man who kneels with the incense in front of it. Beside him kneels the widow, and to the right stands the mother. In the Altiplano of Bolivia, it is customary that a family, in which there has been a death within the last three years, build a shrine at home at Todos Santos, decorating it with religious symbols as well as a picture of the deceased and food and drink that he or she liked, and then call down the spirit for a three day visit. During the spirit’s visit, the family and friends chew coca leaves, drink alcohol and eat food together.
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  • A happy couple embracing each other after just having been married at a drive-thru wedding at A Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. They are standing in the sunroof of a rented Limousine and the bride is holding the marriage certificate. They groom is an immigrant from Nepal. The wedding industry is the third largest in Las Vegas after gambling and entertainment.
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  • Two boys pray in front of a grave during Todos Santos, Bolivia. They are afterwards rewarded with bread and biscuits by the family of the deceased. In the Altiplano of Bolivia, it is customary that a family, in which there has been a death within the last three years, call down the spirit for a three day visit, after which they go to the graveyard to decorate the grave and take farewell of their dead family member.
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  • Manikarnika Ghat, the main cremation ghat of Varanasi, India, where cremation pyres are burning 24 hours a day. The work at the cremation ghat is carried out by the Doms, traditionally looked upon as untouchables. The ghat leads down to the sacred River Ganges. To be cremated in the holy city of Varanasi means a straight passage to heaven, many Hindus believe.
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  • Mourners return to the river Ganges for a purification rited ten days after the cremation in Varanasi, India
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  • After the devil incarnate, El Colacho, on the last day of the Fiesta del Colacho, has jumped over the babies born during the year, the priest holds up the monstrance containing the host while young girls scatter petals over the infants, in Castrillo de Murcia, Burgos province, Spain. The Fiesta del Colacho is held every year at the time of the Catholic feast Corpus Christi.
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  • Newar woman with her daughter at the daughter's Ihi ceremony, a mock marriage to the Hindu god Vishnu, Patan, the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Among the Newars, who are the original inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley, every girl goes through this ceremony sometime between the age of five and ten. The Ihi makes the girl a full member of her father's family and caste and is also said to make sure that she will never become a widow, even if later on her future human husband would die, since she will forever be married to the god Vishnu. The Ihi is therefore for the Newar women a protection against the stigmatization of widows otherwise common in Hindu culture.
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  • A Brahman filing the teeth of a young man at a traditional tooth-filing ceremony in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, while female relatives hold the boy's arms and shoulder. The ceremony is a puberty rite, done after the girl has had her first menstruation or the boy's voice has broken, but can be saved until later in life, sometimes until the time of ones wedding. The six front teeth in the upper jaw are filed down to an even row, the purpose of which is to lessen six human vices, e g anger and sexual desire. Another reason is to make one look less like a fanged demon, thereby securing ones entry into the land of the dead after cremation. The boy wears ceremonial brocade clothing.
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  • Bread figurines representing dead family members for sale at Todos Santos in Oruro, Bolivia. In the Altiplano of Bolivia, it is customary that a family, in which there has been a death within the last three years, build a shrine at home at Todos Santos, decorating it with religious symbols as well as a picture of the deceased and food and drink that he or she liked, and then call down the spirit for a three day visit. The bread is particularly important. There are pieces of bread shaped like human beings, representing the dead, and there are also pieces with the shape of various old Inca symbols such as the sun and the moon.
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  • A girl and her family in Oruro, Bolivia, buy bread with which to decorate the shrine that they will build at Todos Santo for her dead father who died two years before. In the Altiplano of Bolivia, it is customary that a family, in which there has been a death within the last three years, build a shrine at home at Todos Santos, decorating it with religious symbols as well as a picture of the deceased and food and drink that he or she liked, and then call down the spirit for a three day visit. The bread is a particularly important type of decoration. There are pieces of bread shaped like human beings, representing the dead, and there are also pieces in the shape of various old Inca symbols such as the sun and the moon.
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  • Without looking back, Xhosa initiates leave the initiation camp, where they have spent about a month in seclusion. December 2006 in Ciskei, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The camp is set on fire after their departure as a symbolic farewell to childhood. The traditional Xhosa male initiation rite, which transforms the teenager into an adult man, starts with circumcision. The initiates then spend about a month in a special initiation camp, away from settled areas.
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  • A Hamar bride who following local traditions lives alone in the loft of her parents-in-law's home for three months before consummating the marriage, in South Omo, Ethiopia. She is covered from top to toe in red ochre and butter to ward off evil.  The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse South Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
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  • Together with young relatives the widow of a deceased Roma man grieve beside his open coffin during the wake held in their home in Valea Seaca Villlage in Bacau County, Romania.
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  • Deceased Roma man in open coffin during his funeral in the village of Valea Seaca in Bacau County, Romania.
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  • A 10-year old Newar girl, dressed in school uniform, sits outside her family's house in Kathamndu, Nepal. She has just come home from school, and is waiting to begin her bahra ceremony, a mock first-menstruation rite, during which she will be secluded in a room for twelve days. Her mother and female relatives and friends may enter the room, but no male can go inside and its windows will be covered so that the sun cannot shine in.
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  • On the last day of the Fiesta del Colacho in Castrillo de Murcia, Burgos province, Spain, el Colacho, the devil incarnate, jumps over the children born during the year, removing the evil he represents, while parents hold their babies still. The Fiesta del Colacho is held every year at the time of the Catholic feast Corpus Christi, and the jumping over the children is intended to protect them from illness and misfortune.
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  • Sprinkled with rose petals, an infant lies on a mattress after being jumped over by El Colacho, the devil incarnate, during the Fiesta del Colacho, in Castrillo de Murcia, Burgos province, Spain. The Fiesta del Colacho is held every year at the time of the Catholic feast Corpus Christi, and the jumping over children born during the year is intended to protect them from illness and misfortune.
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  • An Apache girl is painted white with sacred clay and corn meal during her Sunrise Dance, a first menstruation rite, the San Carlos Apache Reservation, Arizona, USA. She is painted by a Mountain Spirit or Crown Dancer, and the staff in her hand symbolises longevity. The painting of the girl is both a blessing and an enactment of certain parts of the Apache creation myth. During the rites the girl becomes Changing Woman, a mythical female figure, and comes into possession of her healing powers. The rites are also supposed to prepare the girl for adulthood and to give her a long and healthy life without material wants.
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  • A girl, standing in the cemetery of Oruro, Bolivia, at Todos Santos, holds up a picture with a photograph and the name of her dead father. In the Altiplano of Bolivia, it is customary that a family, in which there has been a death within the last three years, call down the spirit for a three day visit at Todos Santos. On the third day, when the spirit leaves the home, the families go to the cemeteries to decorate the graves and say farewell to the soul of the dead.
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  • Amerindian woman in hat chews coca leaves on top of a grave during Todos Santos or All Saints Day in Oruro, Bolivia. In the Altiplano of Bolivia, it is customary that a family, in which there has been a death within the last three years, call down the spirit for a three day visit, after which they go to the graveyard to decorate the grave and take farewell. At Todos Santos, the graveyards are therefore crowded with people, who drink alcohol and chew coca leaves while taking farewell of their dead family members.
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  • Sami boys in traditional costume kneel while  a priest bless them at their confirmation ceremony in the church of Kautokeino, Norway. The Sami living in Kautokeino hold confirmations and other life cycle ceremonies at Easter time, after which the reindeer herders move with their herds to the Atlantic coast for summer pasture. The traditional tunics are made of wool and the winter shoes and trousers of reindeer fur. The belts have silver decorations.
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  • Close female realtives of a decased Roma man grieve beside his open coffin during a wake in the village of Valea Seaca in Bacau County, Romania.
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  • A Hamar bride-to-be visits her fiancé's village for the betrothal ceremony, in South Omo, Ethiopia. The 40,000-strong, cattle-herding Hamar are among the largest of the 20 or so ethnic groups which inhabit the culturally diverse South Omo region in south-west Ethiopia.
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  • A monk shaves the head of a Shan boy during Poy Sang Long, a yearly ceremony at which boys are ordained as novice monks, Mae Hong Son, Thailand. The shaving takes place inside the Buddhist temple Wat Hua Wiang. Practically every Shan boy goes through this three-day ceremony sometime between the age of eight and fourteen. After the ordination, the boy spends about one month in a Buddhist monastery and then usually returns to normal life again.
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  • Young Xhosa initiate, who is going through the traditional Xhosa male initiation rite, in Knysna, South Africa, in December 2006. He has been circumcised and is now spending a month in seclusion in a special initiation camp. His face is painted white to ward off attacks by witches and a vial with magic potion around his neck offers extra protection.
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  • Two cousins dressed up as princes and their attendants leave the house of a relative during Poy Sang Long, the yearly ordination of novice monks, Mae Hong Son, Thailand.
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  • Attendants dance with boys dressed up as princes on their shoulders on their way to the house of some relatives during Poy Sang Long, the yearly ordination of novice monks, Mae Hong Son, Thailand. One of the relatives throws rice on them as a blessing.
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  • Attendants dance and carry boys dressed up as princes on their shoulders at Poy Sang Long, the yearly ordination of novice monks, Mae Hong Son, Thailand.
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  • Newly circumcised, a nine-year-old boy who lives in a suburb of Istanbul, Turkey, proudly poses in his sultan outfit, which is the customary attire at circumcision. He stands beside his bed which his parents have worked hard to make fit for a sultan.
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  • An Apache girl, dressed in buckskin dress, runs during her Sunrise Dance, a first menstruation rite, the San Carlos Apache Reservation, Arizona, USA. She runs four times, each time a little bit longer. This symbolises the four stages of life. Close behind her godmother and relatives  follow, the women dressed in camp dresses. The food, snacks and drinks on the ground symbolise a life without material want. The Sunrise Dance is supposed to prepare the girl for adulthood and to give her a long and healthy life. The ceremony is also an enactment of the Apache creation myth and during the rites the girl ’becomes‘ Changing Woman, a mythical female figure, and comes into possession of her healing powers.
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  • An Apache girl dressed in traditional buckskin clothes dances beside a bonfire at a Sunrise Dance, a first menstruation rite, on the San Carlos Apache Reservation, Arizona, USA. The figures in the background are mountain spirits (gaan) or crown dancers. The girl is not the young girl for whom the puberty rite is held, but one of four girls chosen to dance with her and the mountain spirits by the evening bonfire. The Sunrise Dance is held during the summer, within one year after the girl has had her first menstruation, and lasts for four days. The ceremony is an enactment of the Apache creation myth and during the rites the girl ’becomes‘ Changing Woman, a mythical female figure, and comes into possession of her healing powers. The rites are also supposed to prepare the girl for adulthood and to give her a long and healthy life without material wants.
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  • Two young Xhosa, who have recently become men by going through the traditional Xhosa male initiation rite, are going for a walk in Khayalethu South Township, Knysna, South Africa, in December, 2006. As signs of their manhood they are wearing red facial paint, long trousers, a shirt, a jacket and a cap, and, following local customs, they will continue to do so for about six months.
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Anders Ryman

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