Compare The Similarities: A Comprehensive List Of Rituals Of Today’s Religions

/ Post Status: ONGOING

Last Addition July 2023.

Created September 2019.

Written By E. Silvers. /

Recurring Types Of Rituals In Religion

Rites Of Passage

Calendar Rites

Rites That Request An Exchange

Homage Rites

Protection Rites

Healing Rites

Purifying Rites

List Of All Documented Religions

East Asian Religions: Confucianism, Sindoism, Taoism, Shintoism

Indic Religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, Nāstik, Charvaka (Historical), Din-I Ilahi (Historical), Meivazhi, Sarnaism

Nepalese Religions: Bön, Kirat Mundhum, Newar Buddhism, Yumaism

Middle Eastern Religions: Bábism, Christianity, Druze, Islam, Judaism, Mandaeism, Manichaeism, Rastafari, Shabakism, Yazdânism, Zoroastrianism

Most Popular Religions

Christianity (31.5%) [1]

Islam (23.2%) [1]

Religiously Unaffiliated (16.3%) [1]

Hinduism (15%) [1]

Buddhism (7.1%) [1]

Chinese Folk Religion (5.9%) [1]

Other (includes Judaism, Bábism, Sikihism, and Jainism) (1.0%) [1]

Research done by [1] “The Global Religious Landscape”. The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Pew Research center. 18 December 2012. Retrieved September 2019.

Eucharist Ritual

(also called: Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion)

Purpose: (1) the ritual commemorates Jesus Christ’s death by crucifixion, and (2) helps receive God’s saving power through the consumption of His body (“His body” is explained below). This is called transubstantiation.

Tools Used: wine or grape juice (representing His blood) with a piece of bread (representing His body)

Baptism Ritual

(also called: Christening)

Purpose: (1) the ritual is a rite of “admission” into the Christian Church, and (2) the ritual cleanses the person of any original sin they may have

Tools Used: (1) water (immersion or pouring of water), (2) baptism candle (symbolic light), (3) white clothing, (4) Oil of Chrism (made of olive oil and balsam (an aromatic resin) that has been blessed by a priest or bishop) and is used after the baptism, (5) the Oil of Catechumens (pure olive oil) is used before the baptism to ward off evil and cleanse the child or adult (“Catechumen” is the name for someone who is preparing to enter the Christian faith but has not yet been “confirmed” a sincere follower through baptism), (6) baptismal font

5-Step Ritual: (step 1) tracing the Holy Cross — the sign of the Holy Cross is traced on the child’s forehead, beginning the ceremony, and signifying the child now belongs to Jesus Christ, (step 2) Baptismal Promises — the parents are asked by the priest or bishop what they want from the Church, they should ask for a Baptism. The priest or bishop then asks the name of the child, the parents may say their real name, or any religiously relevant name, such as “faith,” or “the grace of Christ,” etc. The priest or bishop then asks promises from the parents on behalf of the child, that they will raise and train the child in the practice of Christianity and agree to take on this duty. After agreeing, the priest or bishop may trace the cross on the child’s forehead again. (step 3) Anointing — the priest of bishop anoints the child with the oils using his thumb in the sign of the Holy Cross. (step 4) Baptism through water — the priest pours water over the head of the child 3 times, and says, “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Doing so, welcoming the child to their new Christian life. (step 5) The candle is lit (usually by a parent or godparent) which represents the new Christian’s life. With this, the ritual is completed.

Penance Ritual

Purpose: (1) to overcome faults, and make up for the sins the person has committed against others and Jesus Christ

Tools Used: prayer

4-Step Ritual:(step 1) Contrition, (step 2) Confession, (step 3) Act of Penance, (step 4) Absolution

Contrition: the person must feel genuine sorrow over their sins, and have the genuine intention to change. As said in the Bible, “We can only approach the Kingdom of Christ by metanoia. This is a profound change of the whole person by which one begins to consider, judge, and arrange his life according to the holiness and love of God, made manifest in his Son in the last days and given to us in abundance” (see Hebrews 1 :2; Colossians 1 :19 and passim).

Confession: the person must confess their sins to a priest (the priest may then give counsel).

Act of Penance: the person is given a “penance” from the priest to preform, a “penance” is an act of kindness or simply a prayer, or both (the priest decides), that the person must preform in order to complete the ritual. The priest may ask the person to recite the prayer called, the “Act of Contrition.” Again, the priest decides as he is His holy servant.

Absolution: God grants pardon to the person who through confession manifested his change of heart to the Church’s priest. The priest says, “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Th person must respond, “Amen,” and with this, the ritual is completed. The priest then dismisses the person and they go off to complete the good deed (“act of penance”) they were assigned to do by the priest.

Anointing of the Sick Ritual

Purpose:

Tools Used: the priest’s physical hands, and blessed oil (popularly pure olive oil or sometimes another pure plant oil blessed by a bishop or priest)

6-Step Ritual: (step 1) Prayer, (step 2) reading from God’s word in scripture, (step 3) a penitential rite (The Penance Ritual is explained above), (step 4) laying on of the priest’s hands onto the ill person, (step 5) the priest anoints the blessed oil onto the sick person’s hands and forehead with the sign of the Holy Cross and says, “Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit. Amen. May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up. Amen.” (step 6) the sick person must receive the Eucharist (The Eucharist Ritual is explained above), (bread and wine or grape juice is given to the sick person to consume). With this, the ritual is completed.

Confirmation of the Baptism Ritual

Purpose: initiation for the already baptized (solidifies young adults as full-fledged members of the faith in the Church’s eyes)

Tools Used: the priest’s physical hands, Chrism Oil (olive oil with balsam) blessed by a Bishop or Priest

6-Step Ritual: (step 1) The person stands or kneels before the bishop or priest, (step 2) the bishop or priest lays on hand on your shoulder and speaks the person’s name, (step 3) the bishop or priest anoints the person with Chrism Oil, making the sign of the Holy Cross on the person’s forehead while saying their name and next saying, “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (step 4) the person must respond, “Amen,” (step 5) the bishop or priest must reply, “Peace be with you.” (step 6) finally, the person replies, “And with your spirit,” OR “And also with you.” With that, the ritual is completed and in the Church’s eyes, the person is now officially an adult.

Ordination of Clergy Ritual

Purpose: a ceremony that marks the transition of an individual from layperson to ordained minister.

Tools Used: The ritual is usually conducted by a bishop or other senior clergy member and is often accompanied by a sermon, prayers, and the laying on of hands.

7-Step Ritual: (step 1) The ritual begins with the bishop or other senior clergy member asking the candidate to confirm their commitment to the Christian faith and to the church. (step 2) The candidate makes a vow of obedience to the bishop and to the church. (step 3) The bishop lays hands on the candidate and prays for the Holy Spirit to fill them with the gifts of the Spirit. (step 4) The bishop then reads a passage from the Bible and offers a blessing. (step 5) The candidate is presented with a stole, a symbol of their ordination. (step 6) The bishop then reads a prayer of consecration, (step 7) and the congregation responds with an “Amen.”

Shahada

Purpose: Muslim declaration of faith and the first (of 5) Pillar of Islam. The script promises its belief in monotheism, which means that the one reciting it must be fully accepting that there is no other god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. In order to become a Muslim, a person must recite the Shahadah in front of witnesses.

Tools Used: human voice, the Shahadah scripture

1-Step Ritual: The Shahadah should be recited in the following moments: (1) adhan (call to prayer), (1) by all Muslims performing the daily ritual prayer, (1) taking part in Salat, (1) whispered into the ear of a newborn Muslim baby, (1) the aqiqah ceremony when the Muslim baby is 7 days old, and finally, (1) the last words a Muslim hears at the moment of death.

Salat

(the ritual service/prayer that takes place five times a day in a set form)

Purpose: Muslim declaration of faith and the second (of 5) Pillar of Islam.

Tools Used: human voice, human movement (Muslims will perform a series of set movements that go with the words of the prayer)

5-Step Ritual: God ordered Muslims to pray at five times of day: (step 1) Salat al-fajr: dawn, before sunrise, (step 2) Salat al-zuhr: midday, after the sun passes its highest, (step 3) Salat al-‘asr: the late part of the afternoon, (step 4) Salat al-maghrib: just after sunset, (step 5) Salat al-‘isha: between sunset and midnight.

Every prayer session must meet the following 9 conditions of the Salat everytime:

1. Al-Islaam (Prayer is accepted only from individuals that are Muslim.)
2. Al-‘aql (Muslim individuals must be mentally sane and aware enough to take responsibility over their actions.)
3. Al-tamyeez (Begun or completed puberty)
4. State of Purity (Having wudu or taking a ghusl)
   • What is Wudu? The procedure for cleansing and purifying parts of the body before various rituals and prayers. An ablution. It consists of washing the face, arms, wiping the head and then finally washing the feet with water. Click for steps below.
   • What is Ghusul? The ritual of purifying oneself from the impurity caused by sexual intercourse, discharge of semen with or without sexual intercourse, blood (including the completion of the menstrual cycle), or by touching a dead body. Click for steps below.
5. Removal of Filth (Clean clothes & clean place of worship)
6. Covering the Awrah (Covering the intimate body parts such as the sexual organs and breasts.) Exposing the intimate parts of the body is unlawful and sinful in Islam.
7. Time (Punctuality. Nothing is done a minute before.)
8. The Muslim individual must physically face the direction of the Qiblah (towards the Kaaba in the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia).
9. An-niyah (The intention for the prayer should be clear in mind.)

Zakat

Purpose: a form of alms-giving. Zakat is the mandatory donation of a set proportion of one’s wealth (2.5%) to a charity or an individual/family that needs it more (it is forbidden to donate to one’s own family members). This is meant to be a type of worship and self-purification of one’s wealth. To be eligible to receive Zakat, the recipient must be poor and/or needy and unable to reach the nisab threshold. The Nisab threshold is the minimum amount of wealth (job income, savings) that must be owned by a Muslim before they can partake in Zakat. This varies from country to country.

Tools Used: Money

2-Step Ritual: (step 1) find someone/a group/charity in need, (step 2) give them 2.5% of your total wealth without conditions.

Sawm

(fasting)

Purpose: according to verse Qur’an, 5:95, fasting may be used to make up for certain sins. *Muslims are encouraged to fast throughout the year at any time; however, preferred calendar dates do exist.

Tools Used: is the practice of abstaining, usually from food, drink, smoking, and sexual activity. *Fasting is obligatory for a person if they fulfill five conditions: (1) They are a Muslim. (2) They are accountable (past the age of puberty). (3) They are able to fast. (4) They are settled (not traveling). (5) Fasting will not endanger their life, or lead to sickness, and they are not under extreme pain from injury, currently breastfeeding, or pregnant.

2-Step Ritual: (step 1) Time of day. During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Sawm (fasting) is observed between dawn and nightfall when the evening adhan is sounded (Chittick, William C.; Murata, Sachiko. The vision of Islam. Paragon House. ISBN9781557785169.) Fasting is the fourth of the five pillars of Islam. (step 2) Time of year. Ramadan is the 9th month of the Muslim lunar calendar.

Hajj

(the pilgrimage to Mecca)

Purpose:

Tools Used:

0-Step Ritual:

Ritual purity

Purpose:

Tools Used:

0-Step Ritual:

Khitan

(male circumcision)

Purpose:

Tools Used:

0-Step Ritual:

Aqiqah

(the sacrifice of an animal at the event of a child’s birth)

Purpose:

Tools Used:

0-Step Ritual:

Islamic Burial Ritual

Purpose:

Tools Used:

0-Step Ritual:

The 16 Samskaras Rituals

(16 Rites of Passage in Life)

Rite 1. Jatakarman

(IAST: Jātakarman, Sanskrit: जातकर्मन्) literally, natal rites)

Purpose: celebrates baby’s birth

Tools Used: fire, Prishadajya of Dahi (yogurt), Ghrita (clarified butter), metal mixing jug, hymns + prayer

3-Step Ritual:(step 1) the father welcomes the baby to the world by touching the baby’s lips with honey and ghee (clarified butter), (step 2) recitation of Vedic hymns, including secondary hymns that wish the baby a long life and initiate the baby’s mind into “the womb of the world” after its body has formed in the womb, (step 3) after the father includes the threefold repetition of “Speech Speech” with the assertion to the baby, “You are the Vedas! so, live a hundred autumns,” into the baby’s ear, he gives the baby to the mother for breast feeding. (Kathy Jackson (2005), Rituals and Patterns in Children’s Lives, University of Wisconsin Press, ISBN 978-0299208301, page 46).

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, in the last chapter, describes this rite of passage, in verses 6.4.24 to 6.4.27, as follows (Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120814684, pages 534-539):

“When a child is born, he prepares the fire, places the child on his lap, and having poured Prishadajya of Dahi (yoghurt) and Ghrita (clarified butter), into a metal jug, he sacrifices the mix into the fire, saying:”May I, as I prosper in this my house, nourish a thousand ! May fortune never fail in its race, with offspring and cattle, Svah ! I offer to thee [the baby] in my mind the vital breaths which are in me, Svah !Whatever in my work I have done too much, or whatever I have done too little, may the wise Agni make it right, make it proper, Svah !”

— Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 6.4.24

Rite 2. Namakarana

(IAST: Nāmakaraṇa, Sanskrit: नामकरण) literally, “ceremony of naming a child”)

Purpose: ceremony of naming a baby

Tools Used:

0-Step Ritual:

Rite 3. Nishkramana

(IAST: Niṣkrāmaṇa, Sanskrit: निष्क्रम) literally, “going out, coming forth”)

Purpose: baby’s first outing, celebrates baby formally meeting the world for the first time

Tools Used:

0-Step Ritual:

Rite 4. Annaprashana

(IAST: Annaprāśana, Sanskrit: अन्नप्राशन) literally, “feeding of food”)

Purpose: celebrates baby’s first feeding of solid food

Tools Used:

0-Step Ritual:

Rite 5. Chudakarna

(IAST: Cūḍākaraṇa, Sanskrit: चूडाकरण) literally, rite of tonsure)

Purpose: celebrates baby’s first haircut

Tools Used:

0-Step Ritual:

Rite 6. Karnavedha

(IAST: Karṇavedha, Sanskrit: कर्णवेध) literally, “ear-piercing”), (baby’s first earlobe piercing rite)

Purpose: cultural immersion & socialization, ornamentation of the body, as a reminder of the importance of hearing & speech

Tools Used:

0-Step Ritual:

Rite 7. Vidyarambha

(IAST: Vidyāraṃbha, Sanskrit: विद्यारम्भ) literally, “beginning of study”)

Purpose: celebrates the child’s first formal attempt to gain knowledge (for example: harnesses the use of written language, draws numbers or shapes, plays an instrument, etc.)

Tools Used:

0-Step Ritual:

Rite 8. Upanayana

(IAST:Upanayana, Sanskrit: उपनयन) literally, “the act of leading to or near”

Purpose:

Tools Used:

0-Step Ritual:

Rite 9. Praishartha

(or Vedarambha)

Purpose:

Tools Used:

0-Step Ritual:

Rite 10. Keshanata (boys)/Ritushuddhi (girls)

(IAST: Keśānta) (literally, getting rid of hairs)

Purpose:

Tools Used:

0-Step Ritual:

Rite 11. Samavartana

(IAST: Samāvartana)

Purpose:

Tools Used:

0-Step Ritual:

Rite 12. Vivaha

Purpose:

Tools Used:

0-Step Ritual:

Rite 13. Garbhadhana

Purpose:

Tools Used:

0-Step Ritual:

Rite 14. Pumsavana

Purpose:

Tools Used:

0-Step Ritual:

Rite 15. Simanatonayana

Purpose:

Tools Used:

0-Step Ritual:

Rite 16. Antyeshti

(or Antim Sanskar) (IAST: Antayeṣṭi, Sanskrit: अन्त्येष्टि) (literally, last rites or last sacrifice)

Purpose:

Tools Used:

0-Step Ritual:

Hindu Rituals (continued)

1. Agnihotra
2. Vastushanti
3. Satyanarayan Puja
4. Graha Shanti
5. Pranpratishtha
6. Vishwashanti Yagya

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