When Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, it caused a whole series of plans and ceremonies to unfold. These plans were already developed and ready to go. No doubt they were tweaked as the years went by and the queen lived on. The passing of a monarch is an extraordinary event, but her death and the crowning of a new monarch is not the only occasion marked by rites. Most of us mark life events, like marriage, birth or death with ceremonies which vary according to culture and preference. The way that we celebrate or mourn has changed as lives have changed and religion has loosened the grip that it used to have on communities.
There are other events we also mark with rites; like those special days during the year such as Easter or the bringing in of the New Year. In the Christian calendar a big one is Christmas. In this day and age, the commercial aspect of the holiday has spread beyond the religious community. Some hark back to a time when it truly was a religious holiday but, our rosy view of the occasion doesn't always reflect the reality. There were times that work took over life so much that many marriages took place on December 25 as that was the only day the affianced couple had off at the same time.
As people of different backgrounds mix in our modern world, it's interesting to find out about the rites of other cultures. Some events, like the Surrey Vaisakhi Parade in BC, I can't help but be aware of. That parade (and the food) attracts so many people that it pretty much takes over a large part of that city. But that's only one of a myriad of events celebrated by various factions of our society. It's interesting to experience the mix of cultures and the various rites people celebrate. It's also a reminder that people in the past celebrated various rites of passage or times of the year in different ways that had effects big and small on our ancestors' lives.
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