The Ceremony of Twelve is the annual ceremony that is held each December and marks the important transition from adolescence to adulthood in Jonas's highly structured community. During the Ceremony of Twelve, each adolescent in that age group is presented with their Assignment by the Chief Elder in front of the entire community. Jonas's community is founded on Sameness, and the Committee of Elders makes every significant decision in the community, including what occupation (Assignment) each citizen will have for the remainder of their adult life. After years of careful observation and analysis, the Committee of Elders chooses the ideal occupation for each Twelve and grants them their Assignment during the Ceremony of Twelve. It also the final ceremony that the adolescents participate in and one that Jonas is extremely anxious about at the beginning of the novel. Unlike the other adolescents in his age group, Jonas has no idea what Assignment he will be given. At the end of the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas discovers that he has been selected to be the community's next Receiver of Memory, which is a revered, enigmatic position in the community.
The Ceremony of Twelve is an annual event which is held in December. It is considered the final ceremony and represents the transition of the children in the Community into adulthood. It is significant for that reason, but also because it marks the differences that exist between individuals in the Community by handing out their "Assignments"—the jobs they will perform for the remainder of their lives.
It is in the Ceremony of Twelve that Jonas's friend Asher is assigned to be the Assistant Director of Recreation due to his fun-loving nature. Jonas is thereafter informed that he will be the Receiver of Memory—a special position which requires that Jonas must possess courage, intelligence, wisdom, and integrity. This position is the only one in which an individual will experience pain.
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