Capping ceremony is an important ritual of Chinese culture. Chinese people have always been referred as the“nation of courtesy”, since the musical ceremonies began in Zhou dynasty. The “ceremonial music education” hadbeen the main axis of the education system, which makes people inherit the etiquette ritual of social interactions tomaintain orderliness of the family and society. Zhou dynasty had last 800 years (Western Zhou dynasty—257 yearsand Eastern Zhou dynasty—514 years, total of 771 years) and had became the longest dynasty in Chinese history.禮記‧曲禮上 (Liji-Qu Li I) scripted, “A son must capped at twenty to receives his title. A son should name hisown First-name before the father. A servant must announce his name before the ruler minister. When daughter isengaged, she assumes the hair-pin and receives her marital name. The ritual appellation (woman being calledhairpin rite) can be use by men and women”. This “name” is different from “birth names”, because appellation ismeant to express a person’s future aspirations. As known as “Zhi Zi” 志字, it means “aspiring word”. The authorstarted to promote the “adulthood capping ceremony” activities in Hong Kong’s secondary schools since November20th, 2008. The author brought awareness to Grade 12 young adult students, as they are approaching to the modernlegal age of 18 years. Students should have a sense of “ownership and responsibility” in life independence. Ofcourse, it also represents the significance of being a contemporary law-abiding citizen. Since November 2010,participated students were selecting “aspiration to create appellation” for themselves. That reminds them thepurpose of “appellation” to be their life motto. They are able to rely on self-introspect of moral value during anymajor turning point in life, as a self-creation of road map and timeline, thus clearing up emptiness, rootlessness, andhelplessness of having no aspirations in life.
展开▼
