The informant is a member of a sorority on campus and was bound to the secrecy of the sisterhood. However she was able to tell me that all sororities have a similar process in which they wear all white – no jewelry, no embellishments, no makeup, no nail polish. In the end of the ritual, they were all pinned with the flower that is the symbol of their sorority.

Analysis: This may have to do with the bridal customs of wearing white. The bridal hue usually symbolizes purity and chastity. Especially with the no-makeup and embellishments rule, it allows the sisters to bare themselves almost literally and accept each other for who they are.

The flower being pinned on their bosom at the end of the ceremony suggests that they are ready to bloom, so to speak, and embrace the sisterhood with open arms.