Ritual versus Ceremony

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[Carnelian]

According to Victor Turner, rituals are forms of religious behaviour associated with social transitions, while ceremonies are forms of religious behaviour associated with social states, so ritual is transformative and ceremony is confirmatory. Do you agree, and do you distinguish between rituals and ceremonies in your practice?

[Melamphoros]

According to Victor Turner, rituals are forms of religious behaviour associated with social transitions, while ceremonies are forms of religious behaviour associated with social states, so ritual is transformative and ceremony is confirmatory. Do you agree, and do you distinguish between rituals and ceremonies in your practice?

I haven't really thought about it, but I don't see why there should be a difference between the two.  It should be noted, however, that my practice has been non-existent for....maybe a year.

If I had to try to differentiate them, I would probably say that a ritual is a set of specific actions and a ceremony is something big where these actions are performed -- but this is just an asspull on my part.

[yewberry]

According to Victor Turner, rituals are forms of religious behaviour associated with social transitions, while ceremonies are forms of religious behaviour associated with social states, so ritual is transformative and ceremony is confirmatory. Do you agree, and do you distinguish between rituals and ceremonies in your practice?

The word "ritual" implies (to me) a kind of everyday-ness that "ceremony" doesn't.  The latter has an air of import that the simple ritual (like brushing my teeth or saying "thank you") doesn't.

Ain't English a cool language?

Brina

[UlsterYank]

I've always kind of used the two terms interchangeably. I know ritual comes from the Latin ritualis, which means rite, and a religious rite would be described as a religious ceremony. Like said above, a ritual can be anything following a routine, so I guess a ceremony is nothing more than a premeditated, conscious ritual.    

[SunflowerP]

I've always kind of used the two terms interchangeably. I know ritual comes from the Latin ritualis, which means rite, and a religious rite would be described as a religious ceremony. Like said above, a ritual can be anything following a routine, so I guess a ceremony is nothing more than a premeditated, conscious ritual.   

Hi, UlsterYank - please don't forget to quote, even when you're replying to the first post in a thread.  Thanks!

Sunflower

[RandallS]

According to Victor Turner, rituals are forms of religious behaviour associated with social transitions, while ceremonies are forms of religious behaviour associated with social states, so ritual is transformative and ceremony is confirmatory. Do you agree, and do you distinguish between rituals and ceremonies in your practice?

Now that I hear this, I can see how and why one might make that distinction, but I don't. I don't think many do.

[Tana]

The word "ritual" implies (to me) a kind of everyday-ness that "ceremony" doesn't.  The latter has an air of import that the simple ritual (like brushing my teeth or saying "thank you") doesn't.

Ain't English a cool language?

Brina

My definition of the two terms is about the same.

Ritual: often repeated actions, can be mundane too
Ceremony: the whole nine yards with a lot of mandatory actions and a lot effort, nothing mundane

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