How do you define a ritual? It’s a tough question. Does the presence of candles, incense, prayers, and/or chanting make something a ritual? Disagreement abounds. While individuals may have different ideas of what exactly constitutes a ritual, it can generally be described as a ceremony to signify a major event: marriages, coming of age ceremonies, births, deaths, and religious holidays are all good examples. Other events like Advent season or the coming of a new moon are often marked with a ritual ceremony. Note: many rituals make use of religious symbols or parables for added significance.
