Well, I suppose we do have a number of traditions that aren't common here in England.
For instance, the old Spanish families have certain ceremonies to celebrate their children's arrival and welcome their magic very early in life. Where the first child is a son, there is a special celebration in which all of the male relatives bring charms to place on the baby in order to protect and seal his deep bond to the family. And all children, girls as well as boys, have a naming ceremony on the twelfth day, though I'm not sure it's all that different from what English families do.
Many of us also have a wanding ceremony as soon as our magic manifests; for me, that meant it happened while I was still in my cradle, so I have no memory at all of the day when my wand chose me. Oh, and some Spanish families also practise rituals meant to urge their children's magic to show itself, if a child reaches five or six and has revealed no hints of the magic within.
Papa says that black is demure, and my grandfather says it is the best colour for preserving a girl's modesty. He also says that in his day, Spanish women were not allowed out of their father's houses until they were married. Grandmama rolls her eyes when he says it, though, so I think he's stretching the truth a bit, but really it just means he worries what will become of me when I leave school and take a job and live on my own.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2009-11-24 04:00 am (UTC)For instance, the old Spanish families have certain ceremonies to celebrate their children's arrival and welcome their magic very early in life. Where the first child is a son, there is a special celebration in which all of the male relatives bring charms to place on the baby in order to protect and seal his deep bond to the family. And all children, girls as well as boys, have a naming ceremony on the twelfth day, though I'm not sure it's all that different from what English families do.
Many of us also have a wanding ceremony as soon as our magic manifests; for me, that meant it happened while I was still in my cradle, so I have no memory at all of the day when my wand chose me. Oh, and some Spanish families also practise rituals meant to urge their children's magic to show itself, if a child reaches five or six and has revealed no hints of the magic within.
Papa says that black is demure, and my grandfather says it is the best colour for preserving a girl's modesty. He also says that in his day, Spanish women were not allowed out of their father's houses until they were married. Grandmama rolls her eyes when he says it, though, so I think he's stretching the truth a bit, but really it just means he worries what will become of me when I leave school and take a job and live on my own.