"A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or revered objects."
Study of the importance and significance of religious rituals in different religions, including their importance to the followers of the religion.
Ceremonies: Formal acts performed in a particular way for a special occasion such as weddings, funerals, and religious events.
Symbolism: The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities, often related to religious and cultural practices.
Mythology: A collection of stories or beliefs related to gods, supernatural beings or heroes, often used in religious rituals.
Sacraments: Religious rites, such as baptism, communion or marriage, that are considered to be sacred or holy.
Meditation: A practice of focusing the mind on a particular object or thought to achieve a state of relaxation or heightened awareness, often used in spiritual and religious rituals.
Chanting: Repeating words or phrases, often in a rhythmic manner and with musical accompaniment, as part of a religious or spiritual ritual.
Altars: A raised structure or place used for worship or offerings in many religious and cultural practices.
Pilgrimage: A journey to a sacred or holy place, often for religious or spiritual reasons.
Offerings: Items or actions presented as a sacrifice, gift or honor to a deity or other revered entity, common in many religious rituals.
Prayer: A form of communication with a deity or higher power, often used in religious and spiritual rituals.
Rites of passage: Ceremonial or symbolic events marking a significant transition in a person's life, such as birth, coming of age, marriage or death.
"Rituals are a feature of all known human societies."
"They include not only the worship rites and sacraments of organized religions and cults, but also rites of passage, atonement and purification rites, oaths of allegiance, dedication ceremonies, coronations and presidential inaugurations, marriages, funerals and more."
"Even common actions like hand-shaking and saying 'hello' may be termed as rituals."
"The field of ritual studies has seen a number of conflicting definitions of the term."
"A ritual is an outsider's or 'etic' category for a set activity (or set of actions) that, to the outsider, seems irrational, non-contiguous, or illogical."
"The term can be used also by the insider or 'emic' performer as an acknowledgement that this activity can be seen as such by the uninitiated onlooker."
"In psychology, the term ritual is sometimes used in a technical sense for a repetitive behavior systematically used by a person to neutralize or prevent anxiety."
"It can be a symptom of obsessive–compulsive disorder."
"But obsessive-compulsive ritualistic behaviors are generally isolated activities."
"Rituals are characterized, but not defined, by formalism, traditionalism, invariance, rule-governance, sacral symbolism, and performance."
"Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community."
"Rituals include not only the worship rites and sacraments of organized religions and cults, but also rites of passage, atonement and purification rites, oaths of allegiance, dedication ceremonies, coronations and presidential inaugurations, marriages, funerals and more."
"They also include rites of passage, atonement and purification rites, oaths of allegiance, dedication ceremonies, coronations and presidential inaugurations, marriages, funerals and more."
"Dedication ceremonies, coronations, and presidential inaugurations" are examples of rituals in societal and political contexts.
"Rituals are characterized by traditionalism."
"Rituals are characterized by sacral symbolism."
"Rituals are characterized by rule-governance."
"Rituals are characterized by formalism."
"The field of ritual studies" is dedicated to researching and understanding rituals.