Period Party
A Women’s Cycle ritual for Honoring
How to do it:
Set up and altar with: red beads, red ribbon, red candles (have enough to give one to each woman who is attending), tablecloth, have roses in a vase and rose petals scattered on altar.
The young woman can wear red, perhaps a long red dress.
Ask her to bring something to the ceremony that represents her childhood. She will be leaving it behind after the ceremony to be put away for her daughter.
Gifts for the young woman – red jewelry and a statue of a woman or goddess. Have a garland of red flowers to crown her with or rose peddles to shower her with.
Inviting women in her life to sit in a circle, sharing stories of their first period and answering any questions that she may have about her changing body.
Continue the ceremony with any and all activities that honor the specialness of this time.
To end the ceremony, have the woman who has been celebrated blow out the candles on the altar. After she has blown them out she can walk around the circle and present a candle to each participant thanking them for their wisdom.
Why do it:
For many, this kind of celebration is a way to de-stigmatize and minimize the sense of shame around periods ― a topic that’s still considered embarrassing or taboo to talk about. Period parties also present the opportunity to address some of the fear, uncertainty and confusion young people feel around menstruation. It is also a way to honor this transition into womanhood, as done by many traditions around the world and throughout history.
When to do it:
As soon as a girl has her period
How long it takes:
Varies
Materials needed:
Red roses, desert, presents, red dress, a sacred item