A religious ritual is a prescribed, routinized, and ceremonial action or set of actions, the function of which is symbolic and has specific significance to the performer and the performer’s community. On a very basic level, rituals are an inherent part of living. They can be seen in many forms of animal life, from ants
Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) Cactaceae is a spineless cactus that is native to central and northern Mexico and to the Rio Grande Valley of the southwestern United States, and that is used in ceremony among participants of the Native American Church. When prepared correctly, peyote is a hallucinogenic drug, or a chemical substance that distorts the
Rituals are part of India’s rich cultural heritage. Religion is one of the prime social areas in which rituals function. A ritual may be defined as a type of organized behavior. It acts as a conservative force, binding the members of community. Ritual is mainly of two types: one that is directly related with religious
Death is a universal inevitability, but human responses are different. How people deal with death has always been closely studied by anthropologists. Death-related beliefs and practices provide a window for viewing a society’s social organization, cultural values, and worldviews. With a long-term perspective, this window can also allow us to see mechanisms of culture change
Rituals and ritualization can be found in all aspects of contemporary social life: religion, education, politics, popular culture, work life, family life, friendship, consumption, and leisure. Formal ceremonies such as religious observances, weddings, funerals, or oaths of office are familiar; the rest of social life is also punctuated by small bits of ritual and ceremoniousness