Rituals-Core of Tradition!
Friday, April 4th, 2008
A ritual is actually a combination of actions that symbolize value, whose performance is prescribed by tradition and religion of a particular community bounded by political or religious laws. They form the core of the prevailing tradition.
A ritual is performed at the regular intervals, or at the discretion of communities or individuals, or on specific occasions. Even a single individual, a group, the entire community can perform it. It can be performed in the places specially got reserved for it or in the arbitrary places. It can be in private, public, or before specific people. A ritual can be restricted to a particular set of a community and can create a passage between social states or religious bodies.
There are different purposes of rituals. They may include spiritual satisfaction or emotional needs of the practitioners, compliance with religious ideals or obligations, demonstration of submission or respect, stating one’s affiliation, strengthening of social bonds, and obtaining social acceptance and approval for some event. It is sometimes required to have the pleasure in the ritual.
Rituals are considered as important features of all kinds of human society, ancient or recent. They include different worship rites with sacrament of well-organized cults and religions, oaths of allegiance, the rites of passage of some societies, coronations, presidential inaugurations, school traditions, sports events, club meetings, and marriages and funerals, veteran parades and Halloween parties, Christmas celebration and shopping, and many more. Rituals form the core of the tradition of a particular community or a society.