A slap in the face.

When I think about a girl’s first period, that’s what comes to mind. A slap in the face.

When I was young and had recently started menstruating, I remember having a conversation with my cousin. She asked if my mother had slapped me in the face? WHAT? Slapped me? My mother had never touched me. She went on to explain that she had been visiting with our Grandmother when she first got hers. She got slapped.

I was horrified and thankful that I wasn’t staying with my Grandmother when it happened to me. Why the slap? Different sources say it is either a way of bringing blood to the face to celebrate fertility… or it’s to shame the girl. Either way, a slap is a slap and is not a great way to start off this period (no pun intended) in your life. It’s one of those Jewish traditions that have been passed down through the generations and nobody really has a clue where it originated or why.

Other countries and religions have traditions as well. In some countries menstruation is celebrated by building the woman a home, making an animal sacrifice, preparing a festive meal or hiding the woman away until she is “clean” again. READ MORE… »