Cultural Rituals Of Parsi

Chapter 4: Hindu Traditions Each culture and religion has its own set of traditions and customs. Actually, sociologists claim that civilizations cannot be considered as such if they have no unique traditions. Since Hinduism is known as the oldest religion in the whole world, it is pretty obvious that it has a lot of traditions and customs. Some of these traditions are extremely important that believers are willing to sacrifice lives for them. This chapter will discuss some of the most common customs and traditions observed by Hindus.

Rituals and rites are required in almost all religions because they hold meanings spiritually and emotionally. Reaffirming faith and practicing traditions are important parts of adherents' personal and religious life. Christian sacrament and Jewish rituals are derived from their religious stories and histories that represent symbolic stories of the origin and their sacred destiny (Esposito, 18) yet Judaism hold means of obedience to and gratitude for God, whereas Christianity is accepts "divine grace or aid through the incarnation of God" (Esposito, 23). Christians and Jews have religious expressions that have a beginning and an end (Esposito, 22) which corresponds with their rituals and rites providing the "assistance through every stage of life, from birth to death" (Esposito, 180).

Within many known religions, the devotional practices has been known to acquire great importance. The essence of practicing what you preach has scolded many religious groups, introducing true beliefs, righteousness, and a wider connection to the supreme being . In the book entitled “ Living religions” by Mary Pat Fisher, clarified and firm descriptions were introduced about religious rituals. Surprisingly; the author utilized small parts of modern concepts, limiting the reader from a full comprehension of religious practices today, therefore; I will only discuss the basic and traditional rituals. To elaborate; in this paper, I will be providing an opinionated but also, comparative description of the major practices and rituals that undergo in both the Abrahamic and indigenous religions.

"Body Ritual Among the Nacirema" is significant as it establishes the issue of representation in ethnography. The purpose of the article is to raise the question of how can we study a different culture from the outside and how can we understand our own culture from within. Culture can be defined in many ways, Tylor (1871) stated that culture is; “…that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” Therefore, the article presents the topic of cultural relativism, arguing that there is no impartial viewpoint from which to assess cultures, that every culture should be interpreted and understood from the

DBQ: Using specific examples from the documents below, analyze the purposes that rituals and festivals served in traditional

Ritual is a symbolic action that can be something that people do every day, which focused on an otherworldly deity or force and is ratified to produce a specific outcome. Ritual action is at the intersection of movement, time, space, and memory. Ritual has different of movement that create the sense of community.

Every Culture has a set of rituals that they partake in, that are often constructed over a long period of time. Simple Actions, and special moments contain so much meaning and make everlasting memories. All rituals despite the locations they originate from, or the location they are carried out in contain the same components, they are repetitive, symbolic, remind a certain group of people about their values and beliefs, and these rituals commemorate a significant moment. For example christians commemorate the birth of christ by attending mass, and many other cultures celebrate this moment in many different ways that have in depth symbolic meaning. In the book “Guests of the Sheik” by Elizabeth Warnock Fernea rituals play a major role. Fernea’s husband Bob is an anthropologist studying the occupants of a small village named El Nahra and their culture. Fernea has documented her experiences, and adventures, and her perspective of the many rituals that the townspeople participate in such as, Ramadan, Muharram, weddings, and pilgrimages. In Muslim culture pilgrimages are immensely important and can even lead to an elevated status. Such as the pilgrimage to Mecca. Fernea is able to participate in a pilgrimage to Karbala with a couple of the towns women she had befriended. The Pilgrimage to Karbala is a symbolic, and cultural ritual in the aspect that it is reenacted every year, and is full of symbolic meaning, commemorates an important occasion and reminds a culture about their

Now that I am able to draw a parallel with something I am familiar with, Greek organizations, I understand the importance behind religious rituals. Although it can be easy to question the practices as an outsider, I know first-hand what it feels like to be better connected with other members and the institution as a whole through participating in ritual. I now realize that although some aspects of ritual might seem to be extreme, individuals often come out on the other end with a greater sense of purpose and devotion. As individuals participate in ritual, group morale is often augmented; just like a baseball player’s confidence and enthusiasm might be improved through participating in a daily routine. Reading Gmelch and Sosis’s articles consecutively allowed me to better understand the common elements of a given ritual. Gmelch’s article helped me attribute a humanistic aspect to religious ritual, since I previously understood sports superstition at a deeper level. By combining an idea with which I was familiar with an idea I did not have extensive knowledge of, my understanding of both topics

Rituals play a significant role in all cultures. A ritual ‘is the practice or embodiment of beliefs expressed in structured action or prescribed procedures that often link to the sacred.’ Rituals are created by taking events from everyday life and giving them some sort of symbolic meaning. As one of the founding concepts of our discipline, ritual has long been a cornerstone of anthropological thought: from the works of Emile Durkheim through Arnold van Gennep, Victor Turner and Terry Lovat. Within this presentation I will be outlining the similarities and differences between Bar Mitzvah and Confirmation, and I will also explain the impact which the ritual has on the individual and society

With the cultural differences, it is hard to understand why the Nacirema make these rituals a huge importance. Ethnocentrism plays a role, and is very present because it is very easy to judge one group’s behaviours and beliefs from the perspective of our own. It may be because it is something that we are not accustomed to or may find odd and unethical. If we were to put ourselves in their shoes, it is certain the cultures around the world may find our own “rituals and traditions” to be odd as well.

parvana’s story is a culture one. According to the book “The breadwinner,” parvana culture didn’t want any of the girls to be like boys. They want girls to stay at home and cook for the boys and they don’t want girl to go to school. (Ellis, 2001). This relates to the social issue of cultural differences because Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, 11-year-old Parvana has rarely been outdoors.

* Does the ritual seek to have practical outcomes (health, safety, prosperity)? Social outcomes (a change in status)? Emotional outcomes (feelings)?

The purpose of this research paper will be to examine how Judaism rituals have helped the religion remained amongst the most prominent in the world. The use of tradition and rituals has been at the very core of its existence. Birth, adolescent, marriage and death rituals will be used to highlight how the Judaism way of life is not dependent on the written word but rather the actions of those who follow this historic Hebrew religion. The paper will begin with a brief outline of Judaism and its relationship with God and then continue with how the written word of the Torah has laid the basis for the many traditions still practiced in Judaism.

Puja is a Hindu ceremony that centers on the offerings to a deity, this offering aims to earn the deity’s love and gather blessings. This ritual is symbolic, and an individual who performs Puja is offering the body, soul and all that there possess to the deity to receive what the goddess may have to offer.  During puja, an individual seeks a connection with the goddess through the experience of Darshan. In the context of darshan, a Murti is an absorption tool in which the deity is seen, and an individual sees god through that Murti. The ceremony is a personal devotion declaration of love and loyalty to a deity and establishes direct communication through mind and body.

In the contemporary world, where ‘westernization’, Nandy claims, has become a pejorative word, the Parsis are forced to begin a process that would rid them of the cultural stigma of being westernized. This process has begun for the Parsis and is moving towards the right destination. The bitter irony that marked their expressions about Indian communities is giving way to an acknowledgement of the inevitable reality of having to accept their relative insignificance in Independent