from the parents /
Youth Convocation (Jugenweihe) is a coming of age ceremony practiced by German 14 year olds.
At the age of 14, many young people in Germany celebrate their Youth Convocation (alternatively, for those raised in Christianity – communion). This festive act is supposed to symbolize the transition from child to adult, whereby the dear teenagers are probably less concerned with being accepted as adults than with the favor of the opportunity for unscheduled monetary gifts. And now that day had come for Celina. She should be taken into the circle of “adults” (yes, no … it’s clear, she sometimes still behaves like a toddler). But that’s how they are, the pubescents. We admit we were no different (Matthias doesn’t admit it voluntarily).
It’s the end of May 2019, and about half of Celina’s grade level students are participating in this ceremony. Everyone has dressed up, gone to the hairdresser (except Erik), and arrived more or less excited in the early morning at the venue (in our case, at the Osterburg in Weida). Celina’s dress we brought, especially from New York. While the ceremony recipients prepared for their “coming of age,” the relatives and guests gradually arrived and gathered in the castle courtyard.
It is pretty cute to see how some people, who are usually in … let’s say … quite casual clothing through everyday life, suddenly looks in a proper outfit. Of course, the class teachers were also invited as guests, and the mayor of Weida did not miss the opportunity to be present.
The ceremony consisted of several speeches about adulthood, responsibility, and the future of young people. The lectures were framed by musical performances and were quite profound in places. Afterward, each participant was called, and some personal words were addressed to him/her before he/she was presented with a certificate, flowers, and a voucher for a first aid course. After that, the national anthem was not played, but nevertheless, everyone marched out of the castle’s banquet hall in an orderly fashion.
And now it’s time to congratulate our offspring on their spontaneous adulthood. However, we can’t see any real difference from our teenager, who until an hour ago was still considered a child. Nevertheless, the certificate is examined by us, and photos are taken before it goes to the following essential items on the agenda – the wish list balloon release and tree planting.
The balloon thing turned out to be the more straightforward task, but there is definitely potential upside in implementing a tree planting!
When lining up for the group photo, you could already see that the tension among the young people had eased somewhat. However, the Punch and Judy heads are becoming the same again (despite their suits), and the princesses behave accordingly. The photographer was not to be envied for her task, but in the end, she managed to bring the rascals to their senses and present themselves sensibly.
After successfully growing up, we went home and moved on to the leisurely part of the day … Eating, drinking, and … Counting money.
Congratulations again, and hopefully, the “little ones” will grow up in spirit but remain young in soul … like us!