First Menstruation Rituals in Sri Lanka

Menarche, or the first menstruation, is a universal occurrence that marks the beginning of womanhood for women around the world (Payne & Hahn, 2002). In many cultures the act of menstruating entails a host of rituals that the young woman must face. Rituals surrounding this passage into adulthood vary widely from culture to culture and can be as elaborate as entire communities welcoming the event or as simple as a mother and daughter discussing the intricacies of sanitary napkin use. In Hindu and Buddhist Sri Lankan cultures, the first menstruation is welcomed with much celebration and fanfare. Anthropologists understand these rituals, and their implications, to be symbolic codes that help communicate various aspects of a community's ideologies and social structures (Meyer, 2005). However, the depth of importance bestowed upon the first menstruation in this culture cannot be demonstrated in singular, ritual or ceremonial acts. For the women of Sri Lanka, a complex range of social implications and new responsibilities also underpin this single, celebratory event.

Connections to Sexual Health

The perceptions of menstruation in Sri Lankan culture and the first menstruation rituals that evolve from them, bear obvious connections to the sexual health of these women. According to Hyde and Delamater (2006), menarche is not only a significant biological event but is also an important social one. Biologically, menstruation is a vital process for the continuance of life; socially, menstruation is an indicative process that allows members of our community to know that we are sexually "mature" and capable of contributing "living resources" to the community.