Manhood is the period in a male's life when he has left behind the innocence of childhood. It is during this period that the peak of a man's lifetime is reached. Throughout history, especially in the ancient cultures, boys would undergo many different, sometimes dangerous, ceremonies or sacrifices in order to be recognized as adult in their own right. This rite of passage from childhood to adulthood was very important to these emerging members of society, and many factors of their adult life would sometimes have been affected by this one transitional period of a male person's life. “Children” redirects here. ... A ceremony is an activity, infused with ritual significance, performed on a certain occasion. ... Marcus Aurelius and members of the Imperial family offer sacrifice in gratitude for success against Germanic tribes: contemporary bas-relief, Capitoline Museum, Rome For other uses, see Sacrifice (disambiguation). ... For the adult insect stage, see Imago. ... Young people interacting within an ethnically diverse society. ...

"Manhood" can also be a synonym for masculinity, as well as a euphemism for penis. Look up masculine in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Euphemism is the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant to the listener; or in the case of doublespeak, to make it less troublesome for the speaker. ... The penis (plural penises, penes) is an external male sexual organ. ...

Judaism

Within Judaism there is the well-known ceremony of Bar Mitzvah for a boy when he turns thirteen years old and becomes recognized as a man. Judaism recognizes that this age coincides with puberty, which in past times made them eligible for marriage. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... When a Jewish child reaches the age of maturity (12 years and one day for girls, 13 years and one day for boys) that child becomes responsible for him/herself under Jewish law; at this point a boy is said to become Bar Mitzvah (בר מצו&#1493... Puberty refers to the process of physical changes by which a childs body becomes an adult body capable of reproduction. ... Judaism considers marriage to be the ideal state of existence; a man without a wife, or a woman without a husband, are considered incomplete. ...

See also

• Masculinity
• Coming of age
• Rite of passage
• Womanhood
• Femininity

Look up masculine in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Coming of age is a young persons transition from adolescence to adulthood. ... Shan boy undergoing Poy Sang Long initiation A rite of passage is a ritual that marks a change in a persons social or sexual status. ... Image of a woman on the Pioneer plaque sent to outer space. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

External links

Look up Manhood in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Baka Pygmies Manhood with the ceremonies of the Pygmies' rite of initiation