Rituals And Ceremonies

421 Words2 Pages
I agree with the author in that rituals and ceremonies help define a culture. However, they are not the only elements that help maintaining one's cutural identity. Nor could they determine the existence of a culture. Conversely, it is always other factors that lead to the elapse of people's cultural identity ,then rituals and ceremonies fade away with it. 1.Admitedly,rituals and ceremonies do play a part in preserving cultural identity. The Dragon Boat Festival,for example, has had a history of more than 2,000 years. Ceremonies are held on that day in honour of a patriotic peot,Chu Yuan. Hence it not only serves as a cultural heritage that passed down from our ancesters, but more importantly, it involves a basic social function in expressing and reinforcing a nation's belief and honor. It creates a sense of social cohesion. 2.Natheless,this is just part of the picture. In fact,there are various other ingredients along with rituals and ceremonies that constitute the integrity of cultural identity. Some of them are even more decisive.For example,language. Its relationship with culture is so intimate that one can not survive without the other.In New Zealand, classes aimed at slowing the erosion of native culture are told in Maori. Additionally,people's cultural identity might involves costumes,food,beverage(like tea for China),even body languge and gestures.Anything that make up one's lifestyle might be one aspect of a unity, reflecting part of the unique sense of who they are. In fact,the absence of regular rituals and ceremonies often results from the extinction of a culture's mentality and lose of confidence. When a small community finds itself alongside a larger,wealthier society, how many of their youth will still be willing to spend time and money on retaining the outdated tradition? The real deadly weapon is the gradual assimulation of mainstream. We

More about Rituals And Ceremonies

Open Document