Word Finder - ceremonies

definition

A ritual, with religious or cultural significance.

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An official gathering to celebrate, commemorate, or otherwise mark some event.

definition

A formal socially established behaviour, often in relation to people of different ranks; formality.

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Show of magnificence, display, ostentation.

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An accessory or object associated with a ritual.

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An omen or portent.

After the usual ceremonies Pierre rose and began his address.

An aide-de-camp, the Master of Ceremonies, went up to Countess Bezukhova and asked her to dance.

They also reject the use of crucifixes and other symbols and ceremonies retained by the Lutherans.

Demosthenes (De corona, p. 313) mentions various ceremonies practised during the celebration of the mysteries of this deity.

In Australia, among the Hottentots, in the Malay Peninsula and elsewhere, blood ceremonies are in use which are unconnected with the slaughter of a victim; in this blood ritual we may see another possible source of sacrifice.

An Athenian came to be the missionary of Hellenism and to direct its ceremonies, which were established by force up and down the country.

In other cases the inclusion of documents relating to the temple business, payments of tithes and other dues, salaries to temple officials, and such ceremonies as marriages, &c., which may have demanded the presence of the congregation and were at least partly religious in nature, have been allowed to complicate the matter.

When Kildare became viceroy in 1524, O'Neill consented to act as his swordbearer in ceremonies of state; but his allegiance was not to be reckoned upon, and while ready enough to give verbal assurances of loyalty, he could not be persuaded to give hostages as security for his conduct; but Tyrone having been invaded in 1541 by Sir Anthony St Leger, the lord deputy, Conn delivered up his son as a hostage, attended a parliament held at Trim, and, crossing to England, made his submission at Greenwich to Henry VIII., who created him earl of Tyrone for life, and made him a present of money and a valuable gold chain.

But the Australians are distinguished by possessing elaborate initiatory ceremonies.

This chair, now placed in the gallery referred to, was used for centuries in the imperial coronation ceremonies.

In the Sinan Tekke or Dervish monastery the ceremonies of the howling and dancing Dervishes may be witnessed.

Ritual flagellation existed among the Jews, and, according to Buxtorf (Synagoga judaica, Basel, 1603), was one of the ceremonies of the day of the Great Pardon.

The teachers, who are chosen by vote, may also exhort or preach, when their services are needed for such purposes, and may, at the request of a bishop, perform marriage or baptismal ceremonies.

Of a far more complicated nature than these offerings are the Soma-sacrifices, which, besides the simpler ceremonies of this class, such as the Agnishtoma or "Praise of Agni," also include great state functions, such as the Rajasuya or consecration of a king, and the Asvamedha or horse-sacrifice, which, in addition to the sacrificial rites, have a considerable amount of extraneous, often highly interesting, ceremonial connected with them, which makes them seem to partake largely of the nature of public festivals.

He was an important court official whose duties comprised the superintendence of the Chapel Royal and all the religious ceremonies of the court.

At the consecration of a church the sacrifice of a dove (the bird of Ishtar) has place among the ceremonies.

Between the lessons the ass was solemnly fed, and at the conclusion of the service was led by the precentor out into the square before the church (conductus ad ludos); water was poured on the precentor's head, and the ass became the centre of burlesque ceremonies, dancing and buffoonery being carried on far into the night, while the clergy and the serious-minded retired to matins and bed.

A young Piute Indian medicine-man, known as Wovoka, and called Jack Wilson by the whites, proclaimed that he had had a revelation, and that, if this ghost dance and other ceremonies were duly performed, the Indians would be rid of the white men and restored to power.

Considering however the two sections of the Passover separately, it is remarkable how many of the ceremonies associated either historically or ceremonially with the Passover have connexion with the idea of a covenant.

Except at Athens, little is known of the ceremonies or festivals which attended her worship. There we have the following.

The impressiveness and the stimulating power of the mystic ceremonies, the consciousness of being the privileged possessor of the secret wisdom of the ancients, the sense of purification from sin, and the expectation of a better life where there was to be compensation for the sufferings of this world - were all strong appeals to human nature.

In 1858, the centennial year of his birth, his remains were reinterred with impressive ceremonies at Richmond, Virginia.

Cyrus appears in the unassailably authentic cylinder inscription "as a complete religious indifferentist, willing to go through any amount of ceremonies to soothe the prejudices of a susceptible population."

When the king symbolizes both the god and the extent of his kingdom, ceremonies which could appear commonplace often acquire a new significance, any discussion of which belongs to the intricacies of the history of religion and pre-monarchical society.

In their funeral ceremonies, the moment the spirit has fled incense is burnt before the corpse until it is carried out to be buried.

It is the scene from time to time of splendid ceremonies, and contains the tombs of many great men; but in this respect it cannot compete with the peculiar associations of Westminster Abbey.

Besides giving to the world the first accurate description of the holy city and the Haj ceremonies, he was the first to fix the position of Mecca by astronomical observations, and to describe the physical character of its surroundings.

He first visited Taif at the invitation of the pasha, thence he proceeded to Mecca, where he spent three months studying every detail of the topography of the holy places, and going through all the ceremonies incumbent on a Moslem pilgrim.

The greater part of March (the birth-month of Mars), beginning from the 1st, on which day the ancile was said to have fallen from heaven and the campaigning season began, was devoted to various ceremonies connected with the Salii.

Forms and ceremonies should only be judged as they promoted the great object of life, a clean heart and a right spirit, love to God and one's neighbour.

He had, however, already begun to look sourly upon Aristotle and the current scholastic theology, which he believed hid the simple truth of the gospel and the desperate state of mankind, who were taught a vain reliance upon outward works and ceremonies, when the only safety lay in throwing oneself on God's mercy.

A conservative Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies after the Use of the Church of England - commonly called the First Prayer Book of Edward VI.

A group of abodes, however joined together, constituted the village or home of the tribe, and there was added to these a town hall or large assembly structure where men gathered and gossiped, and where all dramatic and religious ceremonies were held.

The chief religious purpose of the society was the worship of the generative powers of nature, and the ritual and ceremonies of initiation were grossly licentious.

The ceremonies of his worship were of the most bloodthirsty character, and hundreds of human beings were murdered annually before his shrine, their limbs being eaten by his worshippers.

Religious or semi-religious ceremonies, however, play a great part in the life of the Siamese, and few weeks pass without some great function or procession.

Among these the cremation ceremonies are especially conspicuous.

The palace contains two fine rooms used for court ceremonies, and a considerable number of pictures.

The emphasis accordingly came to be laid increasingly upon the formal side of worship, and a value was given to the ceremonies as such, and their proper and correct performance by duly qualified persons, i.e.

It may be noted that in all the ceremonies in the religion of the Avesta, incantations, prayers and confessions play a very large part.

The sanctuary thus became a seat of judgment, and here, too, compacts were sealed by oaths and sacrificial ceremonies.

It was intended as an effort to conciliate the Poles, and was opened by the emperor William IL, with imposing ceremonies, on the 10th of August 1910.

It contemplates the assumption of the vow for a limited period only, and gives particular details as to the atoning ceremonies at the sanctuary by which the vow must be recommenced if broken by accidental defilement, and the closing sacrifice, at which the Nazarite on the expiry of his vow cuts off his hair and burns it on the altar, thus returning to ordinary life.

He proceeded to impose by authority the religious ceremonies and usages to which he attached so much importance.

They are youths aged from twelve to sixteen, selected by the sovereign in person, to attend on him at state ceremonies, when two of them, arrayed in an antique costume, assist the groom of the stole in carrying the royal train.

Of religious ceremonies the most important was sacrifice.

On the second and principal day of the festival the ceremonies were conducted in the grove of the Dea Dia.

The graduating senior class of (high school name) proudly announces commencement ceremonies on (date, time, location).

The ceremonies are often Christian-based.

Officers wear the Blue Dress uniform for formal events and ceremonies.