Paige Duffy 27 January 2014 ENGL 1102 Mrs.

Muesing Ritual Tradition of the Nacirema The Nacirema people have been studied for years. Unfortunately due to their unique and exotic customs, little is understood about this group of people. However, after researching the tribe for years, anthropologists have finally been able to piece the puzzle together of one of the most dominant traditions that appears throughout this particular culture. To begin with, the Nacirema people grow up taking part of a tradition known as loohcs. Generally this tradition of loohcs begins when an individual is a child. Usually the mother and father figure of the Nacirema people decide and take their children to the Children aged around 5-6 will start this life changing tradition. However, some individual children participate in advance traditions earlier before the designated time in which one is supposed to take part in loohcs. The parents do this because it is believed that by children being emerged into the traditions of loohcs before their designated time will result in higher performance and knowledge. Within the earlier stages of the tradition loohcs, children are forced to appear in an abstract place, referred to as loohcs, where they are forced to stay for 7-8 hours a day. Within these 7-8 hours a day, a higher, older power watches over their every move and dictates what should be done and when it should be done. Although children are forced to attend this ritual service, generally throughout their time they are simple manipulating the symbols that appear to be the basics of society. It is believed that by sending children off to attend loohcs that the child

begins to expand their own mind and learns the basic fundamental knowledge that is evident behind every thriving culture. As time goes on however, loohcs becomes harder and harder. The loohcs tradition is built like a ladder, a child must step to another level as he or she completes the other. The most peculiar part of this tradition is that the children in loohcs spend their entire childhood, adolescent years, and some of their adult years as well trying to complete the many different levels of loohcs. Also, with each level, there are more and more requirements that the children must be mastered. Not only do these children, teenagers, and young adults spend almost every day for half of their life striving to complete the requirements of loohcs, they spend almost the exact time out of the arena preparing for the next days lesson, completing assignments given to them to do outside of the arena, and reviewing over other information that was once given to them. The people do this in order to obtain the information and act on it in society. The most peculiar part of this custom is that while children are forced to learn many different types of information, they wont use the information learned later in life. For instance, some levels within loohcs require unique and abstract manipulation of numbers. This subject is called Matheematicks. There are also some subjects in which an individual must study and understand properties that are so small that they are invisible to the naked eye. In this area one learns about the movements and reactions of invisible characteristics that no one has ever seen before. This subject is referred to as Sience, which is questionable whether or not it is a figure of imagination or is actually accurate. Throughout the earlier stages of loohcs, the roles that are valued the most arent the ones who complete their work with dignity and intelligence. The ones that are prized the most are the

ones who are good with exchanging words and well at traditional sports that are played and respected throughout the Nacirema society. Although, in the Nacirema society, this traditional ritual loohcs is not required once a child turns eighteen. However, in order to be a successful member of society it is necessary to take part in more loohcs. Once after eighteen, families work themselves to death in order to pay for the opportunity for their children to take part in this upper loohcs, which requires an enormous amount of golds and riches in order to attend.