Free Will, Childhood, and

Traditions
How do we create traditions,
protect freedom, and create
harmonious communities?

Traditions
Human Beings need traditions. We define social
structures around them, but we rarely define for
ourselves the traditions that we practice and
respect. So how do we raise children with
traditions that respect their humanity, but do
not rob them from belonging to the greater
whole?
First we analyze the traditions that already
exist, why they exist, if they work, and if not,
what will work better? Why seek to change
what isnt broken?

Current Childhood Traditions

Outside of graduating from one grade into
another we dont currently have common
well celebrated customs for children except
in some religions. Therefor there are not
holistic communal customs adopted by
everyone that all children participate in
together. This creates segregational
ideologies from an early age, and leaves
children hungry for rites and rituals they can
share with all of their friends and neighbors.

Current Adolescent
Traditions
Sweet Sixteen : A huge party given to spoiled
children who still have never had jobs, celebrating
for some strange reason a mark of accomplishment
that is neither real, nor changes their social status
in any real way.
Prom : An excuse for spoiled children to get dressed
up in expensive outfits, and then have sex at
hotels.
Grad Night : A huge party for spoiled children who
have just graduated from High-School, not college,
giving them an excuse to run around and do almost
anything they feel like, without chaperones.

Current Adult Traditions

Engagements: A time for spoiled adults to romp around
social systems with a great big rock on their hands,
taking pictures (much like at prom), making promises of
love and fidelity.
Bachelor-Bachelorette Parties: A time for spoiled adults to
party with their friends when the promise of love and
fidelity can be toyed with or be completely forgotten.
Weddings: A time for spoiled adults to force their friends
to forget the infidelity at the bachelor/ette party, while
making obscene unobtainable promises, while the bride
is half naked. Then they dance around to stupid music
they danced to at prom; and then they feed you in return
for making you participate in all of their lies.

Possible Customs and Traditions for

Children and Teenagers
Cotillions: At age six all children participate in junior etiquette and dance classes, with a ball at
the end of the season attended by the mother and father. This would be a time to celebrate a
childs awareness of the self as a part of a system outside of their families yet, with the
understanding that neighbors and friends form a larger community at large.
The Passage To Adolescence: A party to celebrate a childs passage into Adolescence. It would
happen socially at the age of twelve, and would support customs similar in the Hebrew Faith.
Children would announce to family members and community what kind of person they expect to
grow into. They would announce likely future goals, and ask for their community to support them
in accomplishing these goals. It would be appropriate for family members to give the child a
significant gift, such as a watch, piece of jewelry, and or a savings account to help the child
achieve expressed goals.
Coming-Out Parties: A time for Parents to celebrate with their children their future as adults who
will pass on traditions and customs to their future families. Garments which express traditional
heritages would be worn, music from the families places of origin would be played, and young
ladies and men would be presented to be viewed as such. In some families dating might ensue, or
at the very least the subject of future marriages would be broached. Children who are gay may
take this opportunity to make this announcement, as would children who are considering joining
the clergy, or making vows of abstinence. I would propose that these celebrations replace Sweet
Sixteen parties. Families would then have two years between the Coming Out Parties and their
child becoming an adult to oversee dating and romantic endeavors.

Possible Customs and Traditions For

Marriage
Courting : A period of time when you are considering
marrying someone. It would be looked at as more serious
then dating or even a long term boy/girlfriend status. A ring
or other form of jewlery may be used to signify the potential
promise of the couples future together.
Engagement: The announcement that a couple is planning
to get married. This would be followed by a series of social
engagements, wedding planning, and a time for a couple to
seek support in combing household expenses, religions, and
cultural traditions. Both men and women would wear an
appropriate ring to celebrate the engagement, and would
be used to signify their status with each other, and to the
world. Engagements would last six months to one year.

Marriage Traditions
Continued
Weddings: Depending on the level of commitment the couple is
making to one another would predict the length of weddings; but
on average the wedding would last three days, and would
incorporate abstinence before and after the wedding ceremonies,
broken when the wedding proceedings have commenced.
Vows: Wedding ceremonies would REQUIRE pre-written, preestablished vows, where the couple has been counseled
beforehand about the promises, and the commitments they are
making to one-another. More romantic, poetic vows could be
made between the couple, after the initial vows have been made
publicly. These vows could take place during the three day
wedding process, but would be made in private. Its important that
vows be similar in their expression so that communities, families,
and friends can support the couple in keeping the promises they
have made to each other, and to God.