Rituals

Ritual is a universal feature of human behavior. While rituals differ from culture to culture, the defining features that distinguish them from “ordinary” behaviors are surprisingly consistent across all human societies. Rituals tend to be formal, stereotyped, repetitive, and “traditional”. They are therefore easily distinguished from other behaviors. Rituals help pattern and predict social interactions. For example, when two people meet they have expectations about how the social interaction will proceed. In Western societies, meetings commence with a handshake and a simultaneous “How are you?” or some similar formality. While none of us invented the handshake, we all recognize it as a greeting ritual. Religious rituals are particularly easy to detect as they tend to be more elaborate than other rituals. They also generally include music, chanting, or dance, which further distinguishes them from other behaviors. Masks, icons, special settings, extraordinary garments, and even distinctive languages may be used to further demarcate religious ritual from the ordinary. While religious