The word "ceremony" can be heard quite often: when they talk about worship, and in a speech about official celebrations, and in a conversation about cultural phenomena - for example, in a discussion of the tea tradition of Japan and China.
Dictionary Definition
Dealing with what constitutes a particular phenomenon, you should first turn to the dictionary. According to him, the word "ceremony" is a borrowing from Latin, which so strongly influenced all modern European languages. So, dictionaries give two main meanings:
- A ceremony is a socially or culturally determined sequence of actions that have symbolic meaning; combination of several rituals.
- Some actions that a person perceives as a convention and carries out under the influence of circumstances, because he can not make a bad impression on the people around him.
The most famous ceremonies
Among the most famous ceremonies are the following:
- The tea ceremony is a unique cultural tradition of the countries of the East: China and Japan. The Chinese tea tradition is more reminiscent of the usual tea party for us, while the Japanese tradition is a complex ritual. There is an expression describing this relationship: "The Chinese tea ceremony is a lot of tea and few rituals, the Japanese - little tea and many rituals."
- The opening ceremony of a monument, building or institution is also a classic example, and cutting the red ribbon has become a kind of symbol of new beginnings.
- The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games is one of the most magnificent and vivid events in the cultural and sports life of the world. Each such event is a unique performance in which thousands of people are involved, spent weeks and months rehearsing, during which the action of each person is perhaps not verified in seconds.
The ceremonial part of the culture is a rich stratum, saturated with details and features that can be explored indefinitely.