Star Trek: 10 Crazy Facts About Klingons
3. They Have SO Many Traditions
Klingons are a surprisingly traditional people. They have specific rituals and ceremonies for pretty much every situation. For outsiders, it can be a bit of a minefield because screwing them up can cost you your life.
Their traditional ceremonies range greatly in complexity. Weddings are surprisingly simple, requiring a few words and a kiss, though they can get more complex. Divorce seems to be even more simple. This time, it's a few words and punch to the face. On the other hand, the Rite of Ascension is a little more complicated and a lot more intense.
When a Klingon child reaches the Age of Inclusion, they light a candle to symbolize the fire burning in their Klingon hearts. That's followed by the Second Rite of Ascension ten years later, which is much worse than lighting a candle. This time, the young Klingon enters a chamber where several other Klingons are waiting to jab him or her with painstiks.
If you want to be considered a warrior, you have to finish both parts of the Rite. Klingons call them painstiks for a reason.