Ritual purification facts for kids

Taking the bride to the bath house, Shalom Koboshvili, 1939.

Male Ablution Facility at University of Toronto's Multifaith Centre

Ritual purification is a special way that people clean themselves according to their religion. It helps them feel free from uncleanliness. Many religions believe that people should be in this clean state when they worship or pray.

Ritual purity means being in a state of religious cleanliness. This idea of purity can also apply to objects or places. It is important to know that ritual uncleanliness is not the same as being physically dirty. However, some things, like body fluids, are often seen as ritually unclean.

What is Ritual Purification?

Ritual purification is a practice found in many religions around the world. It involves special actions, often using water, to make a person or object spiritually clean. This is different from just washing off dirt. It's about preparing oneself for religious activities or feeling closer to one's faith.

Why Do People Practice It?

People practice ritual purification for many reasons. For some, it is a way to show respect for their beliefs. For others, it helps them feel ready to pray or take part in religious ceremonies.

Ancient Roots of Purity

These cleaning rituals have been around for a very long time. They existed long before people understood how germs cause sickness. Many of these practices come from the earliest known religious systems in ancient cultures. Some people think these rituals are connected to old traditions or rules called taboos.

Some experts believe these practices might have helped keep people healthy. This is especially true in places where many people gathered closely. Even though people did not know about germs back then, daily cleaning rituals could have helped stop the spread of sickness.

Other people see ritual purity as a way to feel better and more connected to their religion. It helps them move away from feelings of disgust and towards feelings of purity and holiness. It can also help people feel like they are behaving in a good and moral way, according to their culture.

Different Ways to Purify

There are many different ways people perform ritual purification. Most of these ways involve water.

Water and Washing

Washing with water is a very common part of ritual purification. This can include full-body baths, washing hands and feet, or even just sprinkling water. The type of water used can also be important, such as water from a special spring or river.

Images for kids

• 

  Tsukubai at Ryōan-ji temple in Kyoto.

• 

  Lavabo in the Poblet Monastery in Spain.

• 

  Baptismal ceremony on Easter Sunday.

• 

  Bishop Sebouh Chouldjian of the Armenian Apostolic Church washing the feet of children.

• 

  Devotees taking holy bath during festival of Ganga Dashahara at Har Ki Pauri, Haridwar

• 

  El Infiernito ("The Little Hell") Ruins of an ancient Muisca shrine, place of purification rituals

• 

  People washing before prayer at Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan.

• 

  Pool of a medieval mikvah in Speyer, dating back to 1128 .

• 

  Ancient ablution pool (mikvah) unearthed at Gamla

See also

In Spanish: Purificación (religión) para niños