There are important ages in young person’s life where they make transitions from one age group to the next. Many of these transitions are commemorated with a party or some type of an event to honor the young person. Following are few of the very important events that young people will have to mark their age transitions and go on to become adults.

Sweet 16 Party

The sweet 16 party is usually held for a girl and signifies her going from a girl to a young lady. The age was picked because at one point it was the legal age for many things that have since been moved to 18. Still 16 is an age when a young woman begins taking on some big responsibilities. She can drive and parents tend to pass more control on to kids this age. The party is usually a big one with friends attending either the afternoon or nighttime event. Music, food and non-alcoholic beverages are standard but no gifts are given.

Bar and Bat Mitzvah

These are two coming of age parties for Jewish youth. According to formal Jewish law, when Jewish boys become 13 years old, they then become accountable for their actions and become a bar mitzvah. For a girl, she becomes a bat mitzvah at the age of 12 or 13 and also becomes accountable for her actions.

Before reaching this transitional age, the parents of the child hold the responsibility for the child’s actions. One the child reaches this age, the boys and girls bear their own responsibility for Jewish ritual law, tradition, and most importantly ethic. They are also now able to participate in all areas of Jewish community life.

Both the Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are commemorated in a lavish ceremony that includes the relatives, close friends and peers of the children. The ceremony includes gift giving and music and often functions as a coming of age party for the young person. All in a   ll it is a happy and fun affair where kids can dance and sing and enjoy each other’s company

Prom

The prom is one of the biggest events in the life of a young person. It represents the opportunity for a young person to have their first date at a school sponsored party. High school juniors and seniors each have their own prom where they dress up and attend. The boys will each ask a girl to go to the prom and they will pick her up and escort her there and throughout the evening. Boys will typically wear suits and girls will dress in a long prom dress, and it is a very formal affair. The event will be chaperoned by teachers to make sure that everyone is safe and following rules.

When girls get a chance to get dressed in a prom dress and boys in a nice suit, the result is that they take a a level of seriousness that causes them to mature a bit. Not fully but it is certainly a good start and puts them on the right path.

18th Birthday

The 18th birthday is an important point in a young person’s life. It means that the person reaches many legal milestones the most prominent of which is the right to vote. The young person can also get a full driver’s license and can also drink alcohol legally. The age is usually commemorated with a party and when it does happen there is drinking and lots of fun.

These commemorative dates and parties are important to young people and helps them to be reminded that they are becoming adults with more responsibilities.