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Having a birthday is considered a special occasion in many different countries, but the 21st birthday is special in many ways. For one reason or another, turning 21 has always been a rite of passage and a great cause of celebration world wide. Of course, in the United States, the 21st birthday marks the final milestone to completing the process of becoming an adult as the doors to taverns, pubs, nightclubs, and bars become open and waiting. Suddenly, that which was secretive and unknown, becomes ordinary and, well, to be honest, underwhelming. There are a lot of things I would rather witness than an unsuspecting birthday reveler the morning after an American 21st birthday bar crawl, but that's entirely another story for another time.
Did you know that other countries put as much effort into the 21st birthday also? For example, the drinking age isn't twenty-one in Holland, yet they still celebrate the birthday in a big way. The 21st birthday is the final installment of "crown" years. To indicate to others that an individual is celebrating one of their crown years, the birthday person wears a crown on their head throughout the day. In addition, or perhaps to make up for having to wear the crown all day, that person then gets what is considered to be an especially large gift. In South Africa, key is made from and presented to the birthday celebrator by his/her parents as a sign that the young adult is ready to unlock the door to their future. This rite of passage may seem very simplistic, but in practice it is considered to be a very important ritual in that it denotes the acceptance by the parents of the birthday celebrator no longer being a child, but instead is now an adult.
As noted, cross-culturally, the 21st birthday is a rite of passage into adulthood. In societies around the globe, the date acts as a legal convention that brings about a change in the way in which communities see and interact with the individual who is celebrating their 21st birthday.
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