A rite is an established, ceremonious, usually religious act. Rites in this sense fall into three major categories:
- rites of passage, generally changing an individual's social status, such as marriage, baptism, or graduation.
- rites of worship, where a community comes together to worship, such as Jewish synagogue or Mass
- rites of personal devotion, where an individual worships, including prayer and pilgrimages such as the Muslim Hajj.
Famous quotes containing the word rite:
“No doubt they rose up early to observe
The rite of May.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“[T]he Congregational minister in a neighboring town definitely stated that ‘the same spirit which drove the herd of swine into the sea drove the Baptists into the water, and that they were hurried along by the devil until the rite was performed.’”
—For the State of Vermont, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“Every ceremony or rite has a value if it is performed without alteration. A ceremony is a book in which a great deal is written. Anyone who understands can read it. One rite often contains more than a hundred books.”
—George Gurdjieff (c. 1877–1949)