Rituals Are Considered to Be a Set

Rituals are considered to be a set of actions that are performed, not for the actions themselves, but rather for the actions symbolic value. What determines the actions or rituals may include traditions, religion, and/or the community in which the ritual takes place. Moreover, any number of activities or events can be incorporated into a ritual. According to Kyriakidis (2007), the term ritual is actually the phraseology used by someone who is outside of the activity. For many, rituals are closely associated with reverence, particularly as it relates to religious rituals. Rituals serve a number of functions, socially, emotionally, as well as physically. Within the religious realm, it is frequently difficult to differentiate between the traditions of the faith, the rituals of the faith and the doctrine of the faith. Durkheim (1912) maintains that rituals and the sacred were essential elements of religion. Tischler (2010) asserts that even objects that are considered nonreligious have the ability to take on qualities that are sacred. He points out that society can determine the sacredness of a nonreligious object such as the deference paid to an actor that wins an Oscar or an author determined to be a bestseller.

Religious rituals have been defined as the conventional behavior denoting a solemn occasion or an inaugural ceremony that is established within the denominations practice that includes public worship (free dictionary). The ritual known as a birthday party has a lot in common with the definition that has been prescribed to that of a religious ritual. The birth of a child is honored by their birth or born day. Regardless of the day of the week it falls on, the birth day is honored. The same can be said for religious celebrations. Once a date of calendar reference date has been established as the day of honor like Easter, regardless of whether it's the first Sunday or the first Good Friday, that day is honored for the meaning associated with it.

With birthday's, especially contemporary birthday's, there is a great deal of preparation involved. Planning takes place in advance and themes are often announced when the celebration announcements are made. There is also a similarity with religious celebrations. Some require great preparation and planning that takes place well in advance of the event itself. First communion and bar mitzvahs often take on a similar celebratory tone as birthdays with the theme announced as part of the event. The difference between a birthday and a religious celebration like first communion or a bar mitzvah is that the theme can vary according to the celebrant with a birthday whereas it is always the same with a first communion or bar mitzvah. Another difference is that the attire for the events is often consistent between celebrants of a first communion or bar mitzvah and different according to the theme for a birthday.