Ritual is the set of practices established by traditions, customs or norms, which must invariably be observed in certain ceremonies.
Ritual is a ceremony through which virtues or powers inherent to the way of acting, to the gestures, formulas and symbols used, likely to produce certain effects or results.
Ritual is an ongoing process of organized activities whose practice is related to rites, which involve cults, doctrines and sects, found not only in religious life, but in all spheres cultural.
In the figurative sense, ritual is a routine, what is usually practiced, is an etiquette, a rule, a style used in dealing with people.
religious ritual
Ritual is associated with religious or mystical practices, created around the idea of establishing a "relationship between human beings and one or several supernatural beings".
A series of doctrines about the reciprocal duties and obligations between deity and humanity, a series of norms and rituals are part of numerous religions, with the aim of seeking a dynamic interaction between their followers.
For the Christian Church two rituals, or sacraments, were instituted by Jesus himself: baptism and the Eucharist. Baptism consists of sprinkling holy water on the head of the person who will be initiated into the religion. This sacrament recalls Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist. In other traditions, the baptism ritual is done by total immersion. The Eucharist (or Holy Communion) is one of the main rites of devotion, in which bread and wine are consecrated and offered to the faithful, representing the gesture of Jesus at the Last Supper. Other rituals, performed during periods of grace or blessing, include confirmation, marriage, ordination to the priesthood, confession, and extreme unction.
Afro-Brazilian religions follow rituals of various origins, such as wearing white clothes, the image of Catholic saints, old blacks, caboclos and Indians. The candle is used to light the paths. Depending on the colors, it is offered to orixás or even to exus. Smokers are used to purify the environment, the pipe is used by the old black man in consultations, etc.
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- Baptism