Rite

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.

Read more about Rite:  Christian, Masonic

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)

    A woman can get marries and her life does change. And a man can get married and his life changes. But nothing changes life as dramatically as having a child. . . . In this country, it is a particular experience, a rite of passage, if you will, that is unsupported for the most part, and rather ignored. Somebody will send you a couple of presents for the baby, but people do not acknowledge the massive experience to the parents involved.
    Dana Raphael (20th century)