Ceremony
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other uses, see Ceremony (disambiguation).
A ceremony is an activity, infused with ritual significance, performed on a special occasion.
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[edit] Celebration of life
Traditionally, a ceremony may mark a rite of passage in a personal human career, marking the significance of (for example):
[edit] Government ceremonies
Sometimes, a ceremony may only be performed by a person with certain authority. For example, the opening of the British Parliament is led by the Speaker of the House. The naming and launching of a warship will be under the supervision of its captain or a higher-ranked naval officer. A wedding will be performed by a priest or a Civil Celebrant, as in Australia. The President of the United States is customarily sworn in by the Chief Justice of the United States, and the British sovereign is typically crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
[edit] Celebration of events
Other, society-wide ceremonies may mark annual or seasonal or recurrent events like:
- vernal equinox
- winter solstice
- weekly Sabbath day
- inauguration of an elected office-holder
- occasions in a liturgical year or "feasts" in a calendar of saints
Yet other ceremonies underscore the importance of irregular special occasions, such as:
- coronation of a monarch
- victory in battle
In Asian cultures, ceremonies also play an important role. In particular, the tea ceremony of several East Asian cultures is very well known.
[edit] Process
Often ceremonies have a physical display or theatrical component: dance, a procession, the laying on of hands. But even greater importance usually attaches to a declaratory verbal pronouncement which may explain or cap the occasion, for instance:
- I now pronounce you man and wife.
- Happy New Year!
- I swear to serve and defend the nation ...
Both physical and verbal components of a ceremony may become part of a liturgy.
