issue207 [7\8\9\10]第20次作业

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207"Rituals and ceremonies help define a culture. Without them, societies or groups of people have a diminished sense of who they are."
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The author claims that culture is defined by rituals and ceremonies and without them, people in a society would lose the sense of who they are. I agree with the author insofar as that rituals and ceremonies is a way to display cultures and they helps people in a society to have a sense of who they are; however, in my point of view, rituals and customs are only parts of function to define a culture and even without them, people still could get the sense of pride, dignity and self-identification.

Admittedly, rituals and ceremonies are the way to show a culture. There are special rituals and ceremonies in China, such as toasting to parents when a couple gets married. Although China has developed into a modern time, but this kind of rituals does not change any more, because this ritual shows the respect to the couple's parents and thanks for their breeding. Besides, in other countries, though the way in which people live have changed a lot, they still cerebrate their traditional rituals and ceremonies to show their own culture's characteristic. Therefore, rituals and ceremonies are the way for people to their own cultures.

Moreover, if a group of people lose their rituals and customs, it is like that they lost identification. Rituals and ceremonies are kinds of label to define a group of people. Thus, people without special rituals and ceremonies will find them so alone in the world and they do not belong to any group, which means that they do not have history, or even they do not know who their ancestors are. Every society would be pride of its culture, its rituals and ceremonies and protecting these rituals and ceremonies helps them to have the sense of who they are.

Nevertheless, some primitive rituals and ceremonies are not created to define a culture but to be used in superstition. Some tribes still have their rituals to beg for a good weather or thank for gods protecting them. In this sense, these rituals and ceremonies have little in significance to help define a culture but only are used for satisfied people's wishes. Therefore, not all the rituals and ceremonies are facilitated to define a culture.

Furthermore, people would have other ways to have a sense of identity, pride and dignity besides rituals and ceremonies. Different languages are essential ways for people all over the country to distinct themselves. And even in some country, they speak the same language, people in different areas would like to speak in different accents to define the special of them. Thus, some groups of people do not heritage their traditional rituals or ceremonies but they do have their own way to keep a sense of who they are, such as their languages, their clothes and their eating habits.

Therefore, although rituals and ceremonies are important in defining a culture and people need some special rituals and ceremonies to distinct themselves; however, some rituals and ceremonies are not born to define a culture and languages with other ways could help people to have a strong sense of their identification.