96 "Religion And Rituals" Category Articles Page 3

How to write a funny calavera literaria (or calaveras poem) for your Day of the Dead wedding ceremony, and when to include it during the invocation, written vows, blessing, or reception! Plus a sample script for the wedding officiant to use as an example, to ‘eulogize’ the newlyweds in a funny and loving way on Dia de los Muertos.

AMM interviews Celebrant Sara Williams to learn what a home funeral guide does, how Death Cafes change the conversation around death and dying, the role of a death doula, and how natural after-death care and green burial helps people reconnect with the natural cycle of life. Sara is an educator, consultant, and officiant of funerals and weddings, and owns Shrouding Sisters, near Raleigh, North Carolina.

Learn about the empowering sologamy wedding trend, also called self-marriage: An act of self love, when you marry yourself in a symbolic wedding ceremony to celebrate, honor, and align with your higher self and purpose. With examples of sologamy vows, soul vows, ritual and spiritual elements, advice for officiants and celebrants, legal and symbolic considerations, and more!

Learn why so many women in the U.S. change their last name when they marry, how patriarchy and legal restrictions shaped this interesting wedding custom, and why it's important for wedding officiants to be aware of a couple's preferences when writing the wedding ceremony script pronouncement and completing a marriage license. Author Ann Zhao's tweet sparked this interesting discussion about where spouses do and don't change their surnames, and why, and we're here for it!

Pantheist wedding ceremonies celebrate love, spiritual connection, the joy of living, and the divine universe. These unity ceremony ideas are the blend of nature and science themes, spirituality, and symbolism! With timeless traditions including tree planting, handfasting, candle lighting, stone blessing, and more, you're sure to find inspiration for your own custom marriage rite.

Curious what to expect when asked to attend or officiate a Satanic wedding ceremony? Learn what happens at a Satanic wedding, where Satanic weddings are held, who officiates, how to find an officiant, and what wedding traditions and rituals you might see -- including handfasting, candle lighting, sword exchanges. Plus, details about what The Satanic Temple and its members believe, and the common values of modern Satanism.

Learn about matelotage, which many believe to be an early form of gay marriage honored among pirates of the 1700s and 1800s. These legal civil unions bound two sailors together in an informal partnership, uniting one's fortune and future to the other's, and were respected by ship captains and pirate crews. (Same-sex marriage, queer history, history of marriage)

Learn about the history of the marriage license and common law marriage in the U.S., from ancient rituals like handfasting, through the Middle Ages, to modern marriage equality for same-sex and interracial couples.

Learn about common Quaker wedding ceremony traditions including how to get married without a wedding officiant in a self-uniting ritual, what it means to marry "under the care of the meeting,' the Quaker marriage certificate, traditional Quaker wedding vows, where it's legal to perform your own marriage ceremony, rules for marrying members outside the Religious Society of Friends, and more.

A simple introduction to popular Nikah traditions and words you're likely to hear when planning or attending a Muslim wedding ceremony for the first time, including henna parties, signing the Islamic marriage certificate, separating guests by gender, the mangni, baraat, walima banquet dinners, and more. Nikah mubarak!

A wedding smudge ceremony is a meaningful way to bless a marriage with lasting love, harmony, wisdom, protection, and good luck. Learn how to add a custom smudging ritual to your wedding, including the origins and basics of burning sage and other herbs, how to make and burn a smudge stick, and finding the perfect words to say for a spiritual, religious, Pagan, Celtic, or Indigenous/ Native American inspired wedding ceremony.

Use this simple recipe to make a sweet-smelling protective wedding smudge stick for your wedding’s smudging ceremony. This sacred combination of sage, sweetgrass, and lavender is said to welcome love, harmony, wisdom, and good luck into your marriage, while clearing away negative energy.

These Wiccan wedding vows cast a powerful spell of love and commitment. Use in place of traditional wedding vows in a Wiccan or other modern Pagan wedding ceremony or handfasting ritual, with suggestions on candle colors and altar arrangements for true magic.

An original Christian house blessing prayer used to bless and protect a new home, or to honor a new stage in life, such as following a wedding or marriage ceremony. Learn how to bless a house, what to say, and how ordained ministers and others perform this ceremony. Written by experienced certified liturgist and AMM Minister Jody Serey.

House Blessing rituals have been around for thousands of years and show up in most cultures and faith traditions. Learn about the various ways people bless new homes, and cleanse, clear, and protect new spaces from negative energy and spirits – including incense burning, chanting, prayer, smudging, bell ringing, singing, and more.