7. In 19th century Spain, a boy only really became a man when he went away to fight for his country
In 19th century Spain, life revolved around two institutions: the Church and the military. These played a central part in every stage of life, and the army was closely linked to manhood. At that point in time, military service was compulsory for all young men. As soon as they turned 18, they would be expected to leave their home villages and go and serve for a fixed period of 2 or even 5 or 10 years. Young men who reached this milestone age were known as quintos, and a village might have a group – known as a qunito – or boys of around the same age who would leave at the same time.
Despite the dangers of military service, especially at a time when Spain was fighting wars in Cuba, Latin America and the Philippines, becoming a quinto was a big deal, and the surest sign that a boy had become a man. A few days before they were due to depart for their military service, the quintos of a village would go from door-to-door asking for food and drink. In many villages, this turned into an important annual festival, with the quintos getting drunk and feasting on what they gathered. They then might graffiti their names on the village walls, alongside the young men who had come of age before them.