Rituals For Life

Leaving aside the commercial aspects of Christmas, which in some cases have developed numerous rituals, let's focus on the earliest traditions and rituals of Christmas.

Celebrating the birth of Christ created the origin of Christmas. However, many of the traditions have pagan origins. Some believe the celebration of Christmas was to lead people away from the pagan festival Saturnalia, the feast with which the Romans commemorated the dedication of the temple of the god Saturn, which was on 17 December.

In northern Europe, many traditions that we now consider part of Christian worship were begun long before the participants had ever heard of Christ. The pagans of northern Europe celebrated their winter solstice, known as Yule.

Yule was symbolic of the pagan Sun God, Mithras, being born, and was observed on the shortest day of the year. As the Sun God grew and matured, the days became longer and warmer. It was customary to light a candle to encourage Mithras, and the sun, to reappear next year.

Yule logs were burned in honor of the sun. The word Yule means "wheel," a pagan symbol for the sun. Mistletoe was considered a sacred plant, and the custom of kissing under the mistletoe began as a fertility ritual. Holly berries were thought to be a food of the gods.

Christmas Pine Wreath with Pinecones, Berrys, Nuts, Snow, & Lights

A Christmas wreath is a symbol of eternity, with no beginning or end. Hang it on the door to welcome visitors, or on the wall to complete a room's decor, it is one of the lovely symbols of Christmas.

Here is where you find meaningful ways to enrich your holiday experience.

Create gifts destined to become treasured keepsakes!

Use decorations to bring tender memories!

In the kitchen you will make irresistible treats!

This is how long standing Christmas traditions are created.

Jewish rituals and religious observances are grounded in Jewish law. An elaborate framework of divine mitzvot, or commandments, combined with rabbinic laws and traditions, this law is central to Judaism.

Halakhah governs not just religious life, but daily life, from how to dress to what to eat to how to help the poor. Observance of halakhah shows gratitude to God, provides a sense of Jewish identity and brings the sacred into everyday life.

Some kind of music, singing, or chanting is an essential aspect of most ritual. This can be done with or without instruments, in any language, or with no words at all.

Food - Almost every Jewish ritual has food associated with it. Sometimes there are prescribed foods (e.g., matzah for Passover, challah for Shabbat, eggs for a funeral) and sometimes just the very sharing of a meal is a way in which the community comes together.

Here is a complete treatment of the histories and comparison's of Passover and Easter

The successor to Pope John Paul II shares a Lenten blessing that evaluates the meaning of the season, the significance of the birth and death of Christ, and the meaning of Jesus in the lives of Christians everywhere, in a spiritual meditation that follows such themes as the mystery of Mary and the Pentecostal sending of the Spirit

The religious rituals of Islam are relatively few in number, but great in importance. The Five Pillars of Islam are five practices regarded by all sects as essential to the Muslim faith. Other notable Islamic practices include the mystical rituals of Sufism and various distinctive Shi'ite practices.

Those Pillars are:
1. Daily confession of faith (shahada)
2. Daily ritual prayer (salat)
3. Paying the alms tax (zakat)
4. Fasting during the month of Ramadan (sawm)
5. Pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj)



Compelling analysis of contemporary Islam and its conflicts without overwhelming the reader with information.

Hindu religious practices center on the importance of fulfilling the duties associated both with one's social position and one's stage of life. With regard to the latter, traditional Hindus are expected to pass through four stages (ashramas) over the course of their life:

1.Brahmacharga, which takes place during the school years, is focused on acquiring knowledge and developing character;

2.Grastha, the middle years, is focused on worldly pursuits and pleasures such as marriage, family and career;

3.Vanaprastha, when one's children reach adulthood, is a time of increased focus on spiritual things; and

4.Sanngasu, in the last years of life, one may abandon the world entirely for a life of contemplation.

All stages of life for the Hindu, however, involve religious rituals and practices.

The history, philosophy, devotions, gods, and traditions of this timeless religion