If rituals did not exist, we would have to invent them. We need ceremonies and rituals to help define ourselves socially and culturally.

I agree with that statement that we need ceremonies and rituals to help define ourselves socially and culturally. Ritulas are the customs that have been adopted by a certain tribe a group of people and these help as a source of identity. They help people in knowing whom there are. These customs are passed on from one generation to the other.

Rituals and ceremonies define people for example the Zulus in South Africa they have many rituals that they perform. When there is a wedding the bride and the groom undergo many rituals which are peculiar to the Zulu people. Another example on the rituals for the Zulu people when a child is born in a Zulu family. There are many rituals that are performed to the child. For instance the child is not allowed to go out of the house with the face and head uncovered for fourteen days. And again the child's umbilical cord is not discarded any how, they have a way to dispose the umbilical cord which is peculiar to their tribe.

Furthermore, rituals and ceremonies determine who you are both socially and culturally. For instance in Zimbabwe there are ceremonies that are conducted by the Ndebele people. One of the ceremonies is the Injelele. In this ceremony they dance for the rains and believe that if this ceremony is not done they wont be enough rain for that year. This is done by Ndebeles only, so there are defined by such ceremonies. There are other ceremonies that are done like the Inxhala festival were they celebrate the first fruits of their produce.So indeed rituals and ceremonies define who we are.

However, i do not agree with the statement that if these rituals did not exist they have to be invented. If these rituals are invented they will lack originality and a meaning behind them. These rituals and ceremonies preserve our traditions and they have a story behind. So in the event of inventing them we will loose the cultural aspect and at the end of the day it will be ceremonies or ritual without any meaning. And also people will not value them as there are valued now.

In conclusion, rituals and ceremonies define us socially and culturally. They help preserve our traditions, taking the traditions to the next generation and having a source of identity. However the invention of these rituals and ceremonies will kill the traditional aspects that they carry.