Page - 117 - in Reflective Cosmopolitanism - Educating towards inclusive communities through Philosophical Enquiry

CHRIsTIAN (MANUAL) 117 8. Should Mohammed’s guests follow his family’s customs, or is it his family who should adapt to the guests’ customs? 9. Do you think that washing your hands before eating is a custom, a habit, a rite or a hygiene measure? Could it be all four things at the same time? 10. What customs do you have in your country? 11. Where do customs come from and how do they arise? Exercise: Ceremonies and rites Rites are generally important in society but they are also important for individu- als. There are rites which all members of a society share, and others specific to a few people. For example, you may have seen some football players make the sign of the cross when they step on the pitch, but most players do not. Habits are behavioral patterns that we have embraced and which we almost au- tomatically carry out. We acquire them through practice and they become part of our character. Our personality is, to a great extent, the result of the habits we have acquired through time. In a way, rites are habits. Yet they are different in that they have important sym- bolic power in a person’s life. They may demand greater attention, although they are sometimes performed almost automatically. I. Which (if any) of the answers do not correspond? 1) Rock concerts are (entertainment) (pastimes) (rites) (holy acts) (parties). 2) Going to mass on Sundays, or to the Mosque on Fridays, or Synagogue on Saturdays is (a ceremony) (a custom) (a celebration) (a rite) (a holy act). 3) Parades are (festivals) (parties) (fancy dress parties) (customs) (celebra- tions) (ceremonies). 4) Christmas dinner is (a family tradition) (a ceremony) (a custom) (a cel- ebration) (easy to prepare) (a chance to eat a lot). 5) Singing the national anthem before international matches is (a rite) (a cer- emony) (a custom) (a habit). 6) Brushing your teeth before bed is (a habit) (a show) (a ceremony) (a rite) (an obligation). 7) Singers who do scales every day (practice a rite) (conspire) (study) (carry out a habit) (carry out a ceremony). 8) Choosing men instead of women to be head of government is a national (pastime) (tradition) (habit) (custom) (vice) (virtue). 9) When a tennis player bounces the ball several times before serving, he is carrying out (a rite) (a custom) (a superstition) (a habit). 10) When a newly elected President makes his oath of office, there is always (a ceremony) (a celebration) (a rite) (a farce) (a recorder). II. What led you to eliminate the answers you did? Discussion Plan: Celebrations Birthday parties are usually important for a lot of people, and organizing them is not simple (deciding who to invite, choosing what to provide for guests, choosing pre- sents). There are also important celebrations in society. Some are religious (Christ-