[emb021]

A 'tradition' is something done again and again for years. The old "but we've always done it that way!"

When we speak of rituals, we are speaking of a ritual ceremony. Some may be private (done behind closed doors and only members may see), others are public.

A wedding is a kind of public ritual ceremony. A funeral is another kind of public ritual ceremony. There are common things amoung most wedding/funerals (some specific to certain religious groups, etc), but allows to people to do their own thing.

One of the major thing that separates fraternal groups (and I include masons, masonic-like groups, and college fraternities/sororities)from other groups is the use of ritual ceremonies. In these ceremonies, the candidates are revealed certain things, will take and swear by some oath, and the like. But as some of us have noted, while there may be common elements, each college fraternity/sorority has their own unique ceremonies.