Page 33 - 07_Social Studies and Population Education Book 7_2078 Revised and Updated Edition

Lesson
2 OUR SOCIAL RITUALS

Human society is a network of human relations and interactions. Society and
culture are inseparable to each other. Culture is the way of living and it includes
beliefs, rituals, traditions, norms and values created by the people who live in
the societies. Social ritual is the practice and process followed by the people
from generation to generation and is the identity of society. Ritual is a major
component of religion so that social rituals are determined by religious ethics of
the people that they follow.

Rituals are religious activities performed for mental and physical purity which
also reflect the culture of a society. Those rituals related to birth, childhood,
socialization, marriage and death are the fundamental aspects of culture.
Various communities, cultural

groups, castes or ethnic groups
can be distinguished from each
other by their different rituals and
traditions. Some rituals of these
different groups are similar. The
life cycle ritual like birth, marriage
and death and the way to perform
them reflect the characteristics of Newari Culture
the society.

Diversity is present in our

country in numerous aspects like
geographical environments, castes,
ethnic groups, religion, language,
culture, etc. The differences in
social rituals of the people living
in the Terai, hills and mountains
are affected by the geographical
diversity of Nepal. Rituals are
Chhatha Puja
Our Social Norms and Values 33