issue207 [7\8\9\10]第20次作业

tsayUID: 2492916

- "Rituals andceremonies help define a culture. Without them, societies or groups of peoplehave a diminished sense of who they are."
字数：527          用时：01:30:02          日期：2008/8/216:02:39

in a nation, rituals and ceremonies has become animportant cultural elements? Are rituals and ceremonies help define a culture?Societies or groups of people, without them, have a diminished a sense ofidentity? In my view, purpose of certain rituals and ceremonies could be topreserve the identity of culture. However, this is not their sole purpose; norare ritual and ceremonies the only means of preserving culture identity.

In modern society, certain rituals and ceremonies have, insome extent, contributed to preserving the identity of culture. For instance, someChinese minorities of nation- such as Qah, Bah, and so forth- have preservednothing but their certain rituals and ceremonies. With the development ofeconomy and communication of diversity of culture with outside world- speciallythe internet and fashion population there, their own culture have riskedassimilated and extinction.

However, their angular ceremonies and particular ritualshave struggled to preserve them with the distinct culture, which have beendeveloped for a long history. Even in today, when one visits these regions-specially in GuangXi autonomy region, he or her would see easily that thesepeople always engage their distinct large rituals and ceremonies—such as theirwelcome rituals through their distinct dance of nation, ceremony of celebrationthrough dance and music- to notice the outside world, even themselves, thatthey all have a strong sense of who they are, and of that how they develop theirculture through their distinguished styles.

Further adding the point is the Chinese traditionalceremonies- Spring Festival, which have symbolized nearly the three thousandChinese culture. Every year, Chinese people, wherever they are on the earth,have, without exception, taken this traditional ceremonies, wearing their traditionalclothes, visiting their best friend and parents with exclusive gifts, eatingthe rice of floor cake they self cooked, and distributing the red packet ofmoney to children. Taking this traditional ceremonies actually shows to outsideworld that they are Chinese, and the scion of Yellow Lord--a significant strongidentity of culture.  

Notwithstanding the rituals and ceremonies wouldcontribute the identity of culture, this contribution is not the onlydestination of them. One need to look the universal ceremony of reception thenew faculties in firms in most society. As a being member of the big family,company often engage a formal reception ceremony for the individual andencourage them to have a greater performance, a greater contribution to the firm,and a greater cooperation with other faculties. We can see these ceremonies inmost society, which are little to do with culture- let along the identity ofit.

Nor are the rituals and ceremonies the sole mean topreserve the culture identity, which, in fact, there are many other forms to preserve.Take Chinese minorities of nations for instance again. Some tribute demonstratetheir distinctive culture through their distinguished language, dress and theirtraditional arts, for instance, Li and Qi culture in Yunnan province in China, andsome distinguish themselves today by their distinct lifestyle and architecture,for instance, Gus and Fish culture;

In conclusion, without certain rituals and ceremonies,society or groups of people would lost the identity of culture-in other word.Without the cultural identity,  societyof groups would have a diminished sense of who they are. Nonetheless,  purpose of other rituals and ceremonies arethe preserving the identity of culture but celebrating, incepting, and even taking oath. One the other hand,  other distinct forms, such as language,lifestyle, and so forth would equally contribute the identity of culture.