Rite

A rite is an established, ceremonious, usually religious act. Rites fall into three major categories:

• rites of passage, generally changing an individual's social status, such as Christian marriage, or baptism
• rites of worship, where a community comes together to worship, such as Jewish synagogue or Christian Mass
• rites of personal devotion, where an individual worships, including prayer and pilgrimages such as the Muslim Haj.

Within Christianity it can have a much more specific meaning -- in this sense a rite is a particular liturgy. For example, in the Roman Catholic religion, the last rites are often performed on someone who is dying.

See also: ritual, ceremony, Rite of Spring

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