Ritual purification

For them, it was a purification ritual held on February 15, in which a goat was sacrificed and a scourge made of its hide. Thong-clad men ran through the city, whacking people with bits of goat hide. Those who were struck considered themselves fortunate indeed. This is one of the few Roman celebrations that is not associated with a particular temple or deity. Instead, it focuses on the founding of the city of Rome, by twins Romulus and Remus, who were suckled by a she-wolf -- in a cave known as the "Lupercale". The ancient Egyptians celebrated this time of year as the Feast of Nut, whose birthday falls on February 2 (Gregorian calendar). According to the Book of the Dead, Nut was seen as a mother-figure to the sun god Ra, who at sunrise was known as Khepera and took the form of a scarab…

general scientific community as well as the world at large, in their own language they call themselves, “Wixáritari” or in English, “The People” (); therefore, these terms can be used interchangeably. The Wixáritari have an annual ritual in which they trek some 300 miles from their…

The Yanomami are an indigenous ethnic group living in Roraima, in the north of Brazil. This tribe holds a curious funeral ritual that includes the ingestion of the ashes of the deceased. A classmate from my statistics class, told me about this tribe, because his ancestors were part of it. My classmate and his parents have never practice any ritual, however, he knows about the history of the tribe. The funeral rite is divided into three ceremonies: the samples mourn crying, the ritual…

elements of Hindu and Buddhism, these people worship one supreme God, and three manifestations; the Trisakti- the creator, Wisnu – the preserver, and Siwa- the transformer whom help to oversee the people and the spirits (Johnsen, 325). The community with trying to achieve religious purity, also known as Moksha, lives within three principles: God and the universe, karma codes, and ceremonies and ritual to be performed by those whom are dutiful…

world religions, and is full of rituals that can be classified as rites of passage. The rite of passage I witnessed in my ethnic group is known as Amrit Sanchar. Amrit Sanchar is an optional ceremony that can be undertaken by Sikhs that initiates them into the rank of Khalsa. Anyone that goes through this sacred ceremony is referred to as an Amritdhari. Amritdharis’s are baptized and are committed to the panth, which is another term for gods army. My grandmother underwent this ceremony in India…

Grief, bereavement and mourning are worldwide phenomenon but they are conceived differently according to the culture and society. The process, that people need to elaborate the loss and to reconcile with it, is related with how they perceive death, their beliefs about immortality, their historical and religious background, and their cultural traditions. In each culture, rituals and customs surround death, helping people mourn and grieve. Rituals help people express their grief and allowed…

in the religious tradition cultural toolbox. The naive theory of religion states that practices and behaviors come directly from our beliefs, but beliefs are usually adduced secondarily. There are three most often used tools in the toolbox that reflect the elements of societies. First, social boundaries, are boundaries that indicate an individual as an insider or an outsider of a certain group, also oppose him/her to another group. For instance, an analogy to the Christian tradition, the story…

Open these past two weeks, I decided to write this paper on him because he a very well-known athlete due to a particular set of rituals that he performs before and during his matches. Rafael Nadal’s rituals and traditions make him very unique in the tennis world. These rituals primarily consist of nineteen actions that take place during his matches. Rafael is known for his tediousness on a tennis court. He is often looked upon as an obsessive…

an elemental component of the corporate culture of that particular Walmart (González, 2013). Furthermore, it is important to note that this activity is essentially free, the staff bring their own meals, but the benefits of this activity make a positive fiscal impact on the performance of this store: high employee retention, a positive perception in the community, and higher employee output (González, 2013). Ritualistic activities, such as this, are affordable and attainable for businesses of…

“Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit”. Mexican and Yanomamo cultures have three significant differences. The first difference is marriage and weddings, second, puberty customs and third religious rituals. In the traditional Mexican family, the father has the final say that will allow a couple to date and set a time of the wedding. He must officially “approve” their daughter to marry and be “given in marriage”. Although Mexicans are free to choose their marriage partners.…