Every year — usually the Sunday after Thanksgiving — members of First Presbyterian Church get out the ladders and hang artificial greens  around the sanctuary.

There is no big fanfare, no special music to accompany the event. 

But it is a ritual at that church, something comfortable, yet important, which signals the Advent season is about to begin, said Pastor Brent Johnston.

 In fact, that is the exact definition of ritual, given by the internet encyclopedia Wikipedia  — “a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value, which is prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community.”  

With our rituals, we often look back, even as we move forward.  

Sometimes way back.

Many Christian rituals have pagan roots, said Rita Lester, professor of religion at Nebraska Wesleyan University. Easter, for example, is all about resurrection, but it is directly tied to bunnies and eggs and spring, mostly because of pagan seasonal beliefs that are linked to nature.

Some Christmas traditions can be traced back to Constantine’s conversion to Christianity in 325 A.D., said  Johnston. That culture worshipped the sun, so Constantine conveniently changed the annual celebration of the rebirth of the sun god into the celebration of another son, the son of God, Johnston said.

The pagans were happy. The Christians were happy. The celebrations at that time remained largely unchanged.

There were lots of candles used at Christmas time, because it was around the time of the winter solstice. Nights were long and the more light the better, Johnston said.

The lighting of the Advent candles each week during Advent season might be traced to that as well.

Candles are still a big part of many Christmas Eve services, he noted, with the light representing the birth of Jesus.

And the Jewish ritual of Hanukkah, which is tied to the story of the Maccabees, also includes a candle lighting ceremony, but for a very different reason. 

According to tradition, when the Maccabees entered the Holy Temple in Jerusalem to reclaim it, they discovered only enough oil for one day.  But when the Maccabees lit the menorah, it miraculously burned for not one day, but for eight days.

Johnston views contemporary church rituals as “a way to connect with the holy.”

Receiving communion or, in the Roman Catholic Church, the Eucharist, is one of the most recognizable rituals of Christianity.

Taking the  symbolic bread and wine (Christ’s body and blood) is the center of the Catholic Mass, and is offered at every Mass except Good Friday.

Protestants offer the sacrament less often, but the ritual still is one of the most important.

“Presbyterians are not a sacramental church,” Johnston said. On the Sundays when communion is offered, (usually monthly) attendance is always high, he noted.

“Our worship service is a full-body experience,” said Pastor Ross Tyler of Vine Congregational Church-United Church of Christ. All five senses are employed during this ritual to help worshippers remember  why they are are there, he said.

The visual awareness of the stained glass windows and crosses; the sound of music, bells and the stories repeated each season; the taste of the wine and bread at communion; the smell of evergreens or baking bread; and the touch of friendship and peace while shaking hands are all part of the Christian ritual of worship.

Tyler said the sense of order and regimen is quite strict in some denominations and less noticeable in others. “But even in a less structured setting, things are often done similarly, especially during the holidays,” he said.

This repetition is a way to “remember the past as we go forward to make a difference in the future.” Tyler said.     

Christian buildings of worship also say a lot about the meaning of their rituals, said Lester.

Roman Catholic churches have sacred spaces and since the Middle Ages have used a Gothic floor plan which relies on divided space, usually designated by a kneeler, rail or stairs and the altar. 

The highlight of the service is the Eucharist, while the homily (or Catholic sermon) is shorter.

Protestant churches, though, have a more open floor plan and one that is set up so the main part of the service — the sermon — where the Word is proclaimed, can be heard and seen by everyone.  “The shape of the building doesn’t matter, as long as everyone has a good seat to hear what’s being said,” Lester noted.

Many Islam rituals, on the other hand, are based on what you do, not what you say, Lester explained.

In their five pillars of faith, only one, Shahaadah,  is spoken — a short sentence said three times, proclaiming faith in Allah and Mohammad.

The other four: prayer, fasting almsgiving and pilgrimage are all physical acts of faith, Lester said.

Asian religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism use architecture in different ways, not often for large assembled groups. “Some of the holiest sites in Buddhism are places you walk around, not intended to be used for groups to gather within,” Lester said.    

Depending on the religion, some rituals traditionally take place in the home, said Lester, using the Seder at Passover for the Jewish faith as an example. The lavish dinner with special food commemorates the liberation of the Israelites out of Egypt. 

This is often done for historical  reasons, she said. Some rituals were done at home because followers were not allowed to openly practice their religion.

Familiar practices, whether done at home or in a sacred church setting, are most meaningful to those who participate in the rituals. 

“We learn from doing,” Lester said.

Reach Kathryn Cates Moore at 473-7214 or kmoore@journalstar.com.