Jugendweihe is a lay ceremony for 14 year olds – the equivalent of confirmation. The beginnings can be traced to 19th century. The Nazis had discontinued the practice and only the communists have brought back all its glory in an attempt to build an all embracing lay society. Hence the ritual was very popular in East Germany. Today Jugendweihe is undergoing a renaissance and has become one of the many 'holidays' of the material society.