Top Five Religious Rituals

At some point in our lives, we all come to realize that death is a part of life. Cultural diversity provides a wide variety of lifestyles and traditions for each of the unique groups of people in our world. Within these different cultures, the rituals associated with death and burial can also be uniquely diverse. Many consider ritualistic traditions that differ from their own to be somewhat strange and often perceive them as unnatural. A prime example would be the burial rituals of the Native American people.

This paper has presented a definition of religion, as well as an examination of its parts to determine if the definition is adequate to apply appropriately. Secondly, this paper has examined several practices and experiences common to both major religions of the worlds, as well as indigenous religions. Lastly, the key critical issues of the study of religions and reasons for their consideration have been identified and discussed.

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).

Death rituals, known as funerals, which have been a ritual that has dated back to 60,000 BC. A Catholic funeral is conducted in three different sections, Arnold van Gennep’s theory of rites of passage can be implemented when discussing the three phases in a Catholic funeral. The Pre-liminal stage of a funeral can be seen as a pre vigil, this is where family and friends gather in the home of the deceased, in the funeral home, or in the church to pray and remember the deceased (Everplans, 2015). The liminal stage of the ritual is at the funeral itself and the Post-liminal stage being the wake that is set after the funeral, in an act of celebration to a wonderful life. Throughout the funeral ceremony, symbolism is represented right

Religion manifests itself everywhere around the world. Although all beings are different we come together as one transcendence being the host. Sacred rituals are performed, honoring beliefs in accordance to ones religion. Rituals are performed for a wide array of reasons, some being a sort of rite of passage, healing the sick and even birth or death rituals. Judaism, Santeria, and Christianity all have ceremonies and rituals, some carried out as different as night and day, and some for the same purposes. These religions in depth have more in common than the eye can see, devotion, transcendence and worship to a higher absolute power. All participating in Sacred Ritual.

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

It was not until I was older that I got more experience participating in rituals that were meant to create overall group community and cohesion. For example, as a member of a Greek organization, I regularly participate in my organization’s ritual, which is meant to bind our members closer. Because I do not participate in any religious practices, my organization’s ritual is the closest thing to religious practices that I have first-hand experience with. In the Greek-community setting, I have never viewed rituals to be “dumb” or “cult-like”, but instead have always viewed them to be unifying activities that motivate members to achieve common goals. This is quite different from how I have often viewed extreme religious

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

The American society tends to feel very high and superior to other cultures in the world. The Unites States is the home to multiple revolutionary technological, medical, and numerous advances. The country is in a developed state that other countries tend to look at in order to know how to grow and advance. However, when looked at from the outside, things that are done everyday, “rituals”, can seem strange. Horace Miner wrote the essay “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema” in order to highlight actions people do everyday in a way that opens the eyes of the reader. Although the rituals seem strange out of place, Miner had a specific purpose to give a new perspective and to leave a lasting effect of thought and change on the reader.

Out of all the religions in the world Christianity and Judaism in my opinion have the most similar rites and rituals. They also share many beliefs and flow many of the same rules. Even though some of the rituals might seem like they are completely different, when you look deeply and find the true meaning, you will see that most of the time they share the same message. But even with all of these similarities its the differences that make them unique and these differences are what splits them apart. The three main similarities in both Christianity and Judaism is the first step into adult hood, the last step into adult hood and the Shabbat and the Sabbath.

(they dismantle the circle and alter). Other rituals include: dedication, initiation, handfasting, parting of ways, wiccaning, and funeral ceremonies.

Mark Pedelty said: “Ritual is, therefore, a primary site of contact between self and society, a place where our individual selves are transformed into collective selves.” As Pedelty suggests, rituals create a loss of individualism and an increase in conformity. Pedelty’s idea is clearly displayed with the fictional rituals in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games and Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery.” These two stories’ rituals are based on chance and are basically death sentences; in contrast, the rituals are viewed differently and were created for different reasons.

* Describe when the ritual takes place. Does it respond to some particular event? It is held at specific time of year? Is it held on a regular basis? Is it performed only when needed?

Mankind’s history of burial practices and funeral customs are as old as civilization itself. There is no specific way to planning a funeral. Every civilization and culture has provided for their dead in different ways. Religion and personal beliefs play an important role in the burial practices and funeral customs of a given culture or civilization. Furthermore, each civilization and cultured ever studied have three things in common: some type of funeral rites, rituals, and ceremonies; A sacred place for the dead; and memorialization of the dead. As far back as the time of Christ, burials have been noted to take place. In time burial and funeral customs have become very distinct, interesting and