Rituals: The Circle of Life

Ritual is the re-enactment of a myth. A sacred story is told again to reconnect people with their essential beliefs, help them through periods of stress and transition and promote social change.

Here, babies in Burgos, Spain are ceremonially prepared for their safe passage through childhood. This ritual act symbolizes the story of the potential danger inflicted upon the baby Jesus by King Herod. Upon hearing that the “King of Kings” was born, King Herod ordered male babies slaughtered. As the story goes, Joseph and Mary escaped to Egypt with Jesus.

When the man jumps over the babies, he represents the earlier hazard. When he lands the hazard has passed and the infants have been symbolically prepared for a safe passage through childhood.

This picture embodies so well the concept of rites of passage. A community participates in a ritual process to ensure the safe passage of their children through the journey called, “life".

Photo courtesy of Cohen, D (1991). The Circle of Life: Rituals from The Human Family Album. San Francisco: Harper.

The Center for the Advancement of Youth, Family and Community Services (The Center) is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1980 and located in Glastonbury, Connecticut.