What is the significance of "sweet sixteen" birthday parties?

[MagicaDeSpell]

I read an article once advocating that parents should bring those ceremonies back. Like when a boy turns 12, he and his dad and uncles go into the forest, recite some mumbo-jumbo about the responsibilities of manhood, shoot a flaming arrow into the lake (or something), then have a giant bonfire and let the young lad have his first beer. That's what I would have done anyway, if I'd had a son.

Religion still serves that function for some. We're a family of pretty devout Episcopalians and we've promised the children a "pilgrimage" of their choice for their confirmations. The younger two haven't given it much thought, but my eldest would like to pay a visit to Madeleine L'Engle's memorial at St John's in NYC. Little does she know now, but the cathedral has regular sleepovers so I'm thinking of making a weekend of it with a trip to the MET's Cloisters, the sleepover in the cathedral, and the visit to the memorial.

I'm thinking my son, who so far is a "man's man" of a little boy, will want to go to one of the mountaintop chapels in a national or state park. Maybe he'll want me with him for the campout, or maybe just the guys in his life. Either way.