Dhoti and Half Saree Ceremony question

[Anonymous]

We are not Indian but are invited to this ceremony for a girl my DD friends with and her brother.

The invitation says “no gifts please.” Should we really not bring anything? Or maybe gift cards?

[Anonymous]

Indian here. No need to bring a gift. It is perfectly fine to show up and be treated to a nice meal and partake in Indian traditions.

Maybe you can send a nice thank you note and figure out a way to show your appreciation by inviting this nice family to an event or tradition that you may host in the future.

[Anonymous]

Wow! I am Indian and we rebelled against the half-saree ceremony over 35 years ago. Maybe it’s less embarrassing in the US.

[Anonymous]

NP here. Can someone explain what a dhoti and half saree ceremony is? I know I can Google.

[Anonymous]

Indian-Am and I have no idea what this celebration is - never heard of it?? Can someone explain?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow! I am Indian and we rebelled against the half-saree ceremony over 35 years ago. Maybe it’s less embarrassing in the US.

It’s a big deal in the US now. Parents spend a LOT on these ceremonies and the girls I know wanted to have one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here. Can someone explain what a dhoti and half saree ceremony is? I know I can Google.

I have never heard of a dhoti ceremony unless it’s another name for the thread ceremony. The half-saree ceremony is traditionally held to celebrate a girl’s passage into womanhood, after she gets her first menstrual period. Until thatvtime girls would wear a “pavadai” which is a blouse and a full skirt. Once she attained puberty she would start wearing a half-saree which is a length of cloth wrapped around a maxi skirt and worn with a blouse. This was the custom in my South Indian community. I don’t know what the exact traditions are in other parts of India.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow! I am Indian and we rebelled against the half-saree ceremony over 35 years ago. Maybe it’s less embarrassing in the US.

It’s a big deal in the US now. Parents spend a LOT on these ceremonies and the girls I know wanted to have one.

I had no idea. I still cringe thinking of the moments in my childhood when my grandmother would loudly announce to everyone in the neighborhood right from the milkman to the family priest whenever my sister and I had our period, to warn them not to look at us for fear of getting polluted.

[Anonymous]

We have a similar tradition in my south Asian culture too. When I was a little kid I wanted something like that ceremony because it seemed like a big party. Later when I had my first period, I cringed when my mom laughed and reminded me of how I wanted a ceremony to mark getting a period. No, we never had our version of the half saree ceremony. I wasn’t interested in broadcasting such a personal thing to our family and friends.

[Anonymous]

Indian equivalent of bat mitzvah/quincinera/sweet sixteen, but based on a more personal rite of passage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here. Can someone explain what a dhoti and half saree ceremony is? I know I can Google.

I have never heard of a dhoti ceremony unless it’s another name for the thread ceremony. The half-saree ceremony is traditionally held to celebrate a girl’s passage into womanhood, after she gets her first menstrual period. Until thatvtime girls would wear a “pavadai” which is a blouse and a full skirt. Once she attained puberty she would start wearing a half-saree which is a length of cloth wrapped around a maxi skirt and worn with a blouse. This was the custom in my South Indian community. I don’t know what the exact traditions are in other parts of India.

I'm Indian and still don't understand what a half-saree is? Is it like a lengha? With a dupatta that looks more like the pallu/achol?

[Anonymous]

I am ethnically Indian but was born & grew up in the US. In our Indian American community, we had saree ceremonies to celebrate the first time a girl wears a saree (not a half-saree) and it had nothing to do with having a period since that would obviously be embarrassing. It was usually when a girl turns 11 or it could be any random time parents decide..
I had heard of having one after menarche - but the Americanized version did away with that part thank goodness!

A half-saree is a dhupatta wrapped like a saree on top of a lengha

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here. Can someone explain what a dhoti and half saree ceremony is? I know I can Google.

I have never heard of a dhoti ceremony unless it’s another name for the thread ceremony. The half-saree ceremony is traditionally held to celebrate a girl’s passage into womanhood, after she gets her first menstrual period. Until thatvtime girls would wear a “pavadai” which is a blouse and a full skirt. Once she attained puberty she would start wearing a half-saree which is a length of cloth wrapped around a maxi skirt and worn with a blouse. This was the custom in my South Indian community. I don’t know what the exact traditions are in other parts of India.

I'm Indian and still don't understand what a half-saree is? Is it like a lengha? With a dupatta that looks more like the pallu/achol?

Dude! Just because you are "Indian" of whatever flavor does not mean that you will be exposed to all the cultural norms of various regional, religious and local groups. Half saree looks like a lehnga with a dupatta type of cloth draped like a pallu. I am aware of this ceremony because I am an Indian Army brat who was exposed to the traditions of entire country while growing up in India.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Indian equivalent of bat mitzvah/quincinera/sweet sixteen, but based on a more personal rite of passage.

This.

[Anonymous]

As far as I know this is only done in various South Indian communities. It is unknown among Indians from the Eastern and Northern parts of the country.