A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or revered objects that may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are a feature of all known human societies and include not only the worship rites and sacraments of organized religions and cults, but also rites of passage, atonement and purification rites, oaths of allegiance, dedication ceremonies, coronations and presidential inaugurations, marriages, funerals, and more. Even common actions like hand-shaking and saying "hello" may be termed as rituals.
According to Robbie Davis-Floyd, a ritual is a patterned, repetitive, and symbolic enactment of cultural (or individual) beliefs and values. Rituals are often used to influence preternatural entities or forces on behalf of the actors goals and interests.
There are three main types of rituals: mythological reenactment, calendrical or seasonal observance, and life crisis. Mythological reenactment is a long-standing religious ritual that reenacts a sacred story. Calendrical or seasonal observance is a ritual that is performed on a specific day or during a specific season. Life crisis rituals are performed during significant life events such as birth, puberty, marriage, and death.
Rituals are a specific, observable mode of behavior exhibited by all known societies and can be viewed as a way of defining or describing humans. The intricate yet complex relation between ritual and language can be seen in the history of various attempts to explain ritual behavior.
