Riitit

Riitit (singular riitti) is a Finnish noun meaning a ceremony, rite, or ritual. The plural form riitit is used to refer to multiple rites. The term is used in both religious and secular contexts to denote established or traditional sequences of actions, often imbued with symbolic meaning and social significance.

Etymology: The word riitti is believed to be borrowed from Swedish ritus or directly from Latin ritus, both of which mean rite. It belongs to the broader family of Finnic terms for ritual practice. The cognates in related languages reflect a shared concept of ceremonial acts.

Usage: Riitit appear in religious settings, such as church ceremonies, baptisms, weddings, and funerals, as well as in secular contexts—state or community observances, initiations, and rites of passage. In everyday language, riitit can describe customary practices associated with festivals, seasons, or rites of passage, with exact forms varying by community and era.

Characteristics: As with rites in other cultures, riitit typically involve prescribed participants, order, words, symbols, and spaces. They may be performed collectively or privately and often mark transitions, commitments, or the reaffirmation of shared values. Anthropological discussions of rites of passage and ritual theory provide frameworks for understanding why riitit recur across cultures.