CANT

BYUH students explain the cultural significance of different ages

BY RANITEA TEIHOARII

“21”

Lindokuhle Mbuli, a freshman from Eswatini, South Africa, majoring in biochemistry, said, “The 21st birthday is the biggest birthday a person can ever have.” He explained in Eswatini when you turn 21, a big celebration is usually made to give you the keys to do whatever you want. “When I turned 21, I sat down with my mom, and she told me, ‘Now you come to me and I will just give you advice, but the final decision is yours to make,’” stated Mbuli.

There is no specific way to celebrate your 21st birthday, said Mbuli. It depends on the individual. “Culture-wise, we are pretty modernized. So some people will have a big party where they will ask their guests to wear a themed outfit. But otherwise, it’s mostly celebrated with family and friends casually,”

South Africa

What makes the celebrations significant is you are now considered an independent adult, said Mbuli.

One-year-old “Doljanchi”

Haerim Cho, a junior from Korea majoring in piano performance, shared the meaning behind “Doljanchi.”

“Back in the days in Korea, because of a lot of wars and diseases, it was very hard for infants to survive [their first year] .... A lot of babies died. So when they hit 1 year [of age], that means they’re going to live long.”

Cho said for the 1-year-old party, the baby wears a hanbok, traditional clothing, and the parents have to prepare 10-to-15 objects from a traditional list. “The objects from the list can be money, a stethoscope, a mic… and all of them are put in front of the baby to pick,” stated Cho. She said the object picked doesn’t mean the baby will have to do this job as an adult but rather learn to acquire the responsibilities and qualities of it as the child grows older.