Human nature is such that routines make it feel comforted. For this reason many sets of actions and deeds are set together to make up ceremonies. Be it the physical drill that school children must follow or the religious rituals that are performed, ceremonies make up a great part of our social lives.

In fact if you look at the lifespan of a person each section of his life is marked by a specific ceremony. A young child needs to be initiated into his religion in a formal ceremony such as Baptism in Christianity, Bar Mitzvah in Jewism, Navjot in Zorastrianism, or the Mundan and Holy Thread ceremony in Hinduism. Only then is the child considered a part of the religious society.

Ceremonies in the young child's life may not always be religious in nature. In school there are ceremonies too. The morning assembly of the full school which has a prayer, thought for the day, bit of news from around the world and then the return to the classes in organized lines is also a ceremony that is adhered to each day.

The one place you have a large number of ceremonies is the Defence Forces. Many old regiments follow outdated traditions with great pomp and glory. Ringing the Bell of the Quarter Guard at each anniversary of the regiment the exact number of times that the regiment has been in existence, is one such ceremony that comes instantly to mind.

Honoring the brave soldiers with medals in lavish ceremonies is also part of the Armed Forces Tradition. As is the Firing Gun Salute that is given at the burial ceremony of a soldier who died in combat with the enemy. Handing over the flag from the coffin to the next of kin, is also a ceremony to symbolize how much the death in action is lamented and appreciated by the whole nation.

A family may develop some of its own traditions and ceremonies over the years. Some family heirlooms are handed over at special ceremonies when a child reaches a particular milestone in life. For instance the wedding dress worn by the grandmother and mother may be used in the wedding ceremony of the daughter as well.

Different cultures spin out their own ceremonies and traditions. In fact to feel part of the society one tends to participate in and create new ceremonies all the time. Maybe you have a special ceremony that you perform too. This is where you can explore some common and not so common ceremonies that exist in our world.