Here's another Wikipedia definition for your consideration:

A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value, which is prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community.

This definition identifies four common elements of a ritual:

1. It is a set of actions: there must be "doing" involved (and this "doing" must be repetitive, i.e., you always do the same thing).

2. It has symbolic value: the "doing" means more than what it looks like.

3. It is traditional: others did it before you (and presumably taught it to you) and others will do it after you (you will presumably teach them).

4. It involves a community: by performing this ritual, you are placing your self in a larger group that holds this ritual in common.

One example is reciting the pledge of allegiance, which has these four elements:

1. Standing, placing your hand on your heart, reciting the words of the pledge.

2. "Standing" symbolizes a sign of respect; "hand on heart" symbolizes devotion and dedication of one's life.

3. The recitation of the pledge goes back decades, and continues in various public and private contexts.

4. Recitation of the pledge identifies the reciter as part of the communal identity "[patriotic] American."

Before discussion section, think of another activity that meets all of four of these criteria (repeated action, symbolic value, traditional nature, communal identification), and be prepared to discuss the following questions:

1. Is your ritual "religious"? How do you know?

Does one of the four elements mark it out as a "religious" activity? Is there any way someone performing this ritual could interpret it in a nonreligious way?

Consider this example: You have two friends who just had a baby. Your friends are atheists, and plan on raising their baby without any religion. Yet, in order to appease their parents, who are very religious, they have the baby baptized in a Christian church. Is this baptism religious?

Another example: Your roommate is Jewish, and is going home for Passover. She doesn't follow any other religious practices of Judaism, and isn't sure she will ever really "believe all that religious stuff." But she will participate in the Passover seder (ritual meal) at her parents' house. Is the seder religious?

A final example: You go to your graduation (congratulations!). At the beginning of the ceremony, before receiving your diploma, you and all of your friends stand while a classmate sings the National Anthem. As you finish singing, the young man next to you shouts out, "God bless America!" and others join in with him, some even crossing themselves. Is this singing of the National Anthem religious?

2. How do you know what the "symbolic value" of your ritual is?

Did someone tell you? Did you figure it out for yourself? How do you know other people performing the ritual find the same symbolic value in it?

Consider this example: You're at the baptism of your atheist friends' baby (so cute!). You find yourself sitting next to two cousins of the baby's father, Jack and Jake. As the minister performs the baptism, Jack (on your right) says, "This is such a lovely family tradition! Makes me think of my own kids and how much I love them." Meanwhile Jake (on your left) says, "Bless the Lord! I'm so relieved that child isn't going to hell!"

Another example: Your Jewish roommate comes back from her spring break, and you ask her how the Passover seder was. She sighs and says, "It's nice to be with family, I guess, but the ritual part takes so long. Prayers, readings... I liked it at the end, when we sang a bunch of songs we always sing--but since most of them are in Hebrew, I don't even know what they mean!"

A final example: After several people shout, "God bless America!" at the end of the National Anthem, you hear two people in the row behind you talking. The first says: "I hate it when people mix politics and religion!" while the second says, "Oh, it's just a figure of speech--like when someone sneezes!"

3. Does your ritual create different status among people--that is, when this ritual is performed, does it create a hierarchy among participants (leader/follower, top/bottom, etc.)

When you perform this ritual, is someone in charge? Do you all participate equally, or do you feel like more of a "respondent"? What about rituals conducted alone?

Consider this example: Back at the baptism, at the little wine and cheese reception at your friends' house afterwards. As you're taking a bite of the seven-layer dip (delicious!) you overhear the maternal grandmother complaining to her husband: "I can't believe Bill's mother got to hold the baby! Just because it's her church. Well, they better come to our house for Christmas!"

Another example: You ask your Jewish roommate if anything was special about the seder this year and she says, "Well, for the first time my parents let me drink wine, and I didn't have to sit at the kids' table, and they didn't expect me to go looking for the Afikomen! It's like they finally think I'm a grown up!"

A final example: Back at graduation, as your filing out, you notice a friend from one of your religious studies classes looks annoyed. When you ask him what's wrong, he says, "You know, I'm not a U.S. citizen, but I am a Christian. Why do you people always think God loves America more than every other country?"