Ritual facts for kids

Students at Oxford University taking part in a special ceremony called Matriculation.

A ritual (also called a rite) is a special set of actions that people do. These actions are important because each one has a meaning. Think of it like a play where every step is planned and has a purpose.

Rituals are usually done in a specific way, following rules that have been passed down over time. Sometimes, a ritual can be a bit challenging or even involve some risks. But when it's done right, people often celebrate afterwards!

What Are Rituals For?

Rituals can mark important moments in a person's life. For example, a rite of passage is a ritual that shows a child has grown up and reached a new age, like becoming an adult. Almost every society in history has had these kinds of rituals.

Religious Rituals

Many rituals are part of a religion or the traditions of a community. These are called religious rites. They show that the people taking part are members of that religion or believe in its ideas. A religious ritual might also show a person's status, their special skills, or their promise to their god or beliefs.

Everyday Rituals

Not all rituals are about religion. For example, cheering loudly for your favorite sports team can feel like a ritual. Even a special handshake or a way of greeting someone can be a kind of ritual because it has meaning for the people involved. It can change how people act or what they believe.

When Rituals Go Too Far

Sometimes, a person might feel like they have to do a ritual over and over again. This can be linked to a condition called obsessive compulsive disorder. In these cases, the person believes that repeating the ritual is necessary, even if it causes them stress.

Images for kids

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  The use of Latin in a Tridentine Catholic Mass is an example of a "restricted code".

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  The First Thanksgiving 1621, oil on canvas by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (1863–1930). The painting shows common misconceptions about the event that persist to modern times: Pilgrims did not wear such outfits, and the Wampanoag are dressed in the style of Plains Indians.

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  Ritual practitioner on Inwangsan Mountain, Seoul South Korea

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  The "capping" ceremony is one of the principle rites of the Confucian ritual religion, alongside marriage, mourning rites, and sacrificial rituals

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  Hindu fire offering ritual during Durga Puja in Bangladesh

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  Masquerade at the Carnival of Venice.

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  Balinese rice terraces regulated through ritual.

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  Scriptorium-monk-at-work. "Monks described this labor of transcribing manuscripts as being 'like prayer and fasting, a means of correcting one's unruly passions.'"

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  This Lutheran pastor administers the rite of confirmation on youth confirmands after instructing them in Luther's Small Catechism.

See also

In Spanish: Ritual para niños