Extraordinary Rituals

On our journey from cradle to grave, we mark the most important moments of our lives with rituals and ceremonies around birth, marriage and death. These life events, and often the emotions around them, are universal. Yet across the globe we perform them in extremely different ways.

Great Gatherings looks at rituals that bring people together in huge numbers, and explores how these incredible ceremonies keep communities alive and help us to reinforce our own identity by joining the crowd. These rituals bind us together, whether as part of a cheering football crowd or standing silent on Armistice Day. By sharing our experiences with thousands or millions of people, rituals can make us feel part of something greater than ourselves.

This final episode looks at how rituals adapt in our changing world. Rituals have always evolved, but as the pace of change increases, how do ancient ceremonies stay relevant, how do they change, and when do we invent new rituals to answer our needs?