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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 marriage, or Christian 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
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