A Prayer Ceremony For Christmas

Religion as defined by Merriam-Webster is, “the belief in a god or in a group of gods; an organized

A great sense of trust supports this mutual ‘give-take’ relationship. ‘If you take care of country, country will take care of you.’ These beliefs are totemist and animist, which basically means Aboriginals perceive all natural objects to possess a spirit or soul. While totems are quite significant within Aboriginal culture as they act as symbols in a system of beliefs, signifying a relationship between an individual or group and an animal or plant. Thus, creating a link between the human, natural and supernatural worlds. As the word ‘totem’ comes from a Native American language where it represents group membership; and literally means is ‘he/she/it is a relative of mine’.

Traditional Aboriginal religious and spiritual beliefs (known as ‘The Dreaming’) are based on a kinship with nature and the land and the influence of ancestral spiritual beings.

: Aboriginal spirituality/identity is closely linked to the physical environment in which the community is born. The explanation of their being, laws and rituals are all tied in with their belonging to country so therefore how aboriginals live their lives is linked to their surroundings. The aboriginal spirituality began approx. 50 000 years before the Jesus.

Aboriginal religion and spirituality, like many other religions of the world (both ancient and modern) retain the idea of the land and people having been created by a god, or gods during a certain period of creation at some point in time. A central concept that defines the uniqueness of the Aboriginal religion is the respected relationship between the land, animals and people. For people of non – indigenous religion, the land is seen more as something owned by them; a commodity to be bought and sold or an asset to make profit from. However, for Aboriginal people, the land is something much more powerful and ancient than simply just their own home. In their culture, they are owned by the land. They also retain a profoundly strong spiritual connection to the land. Aboriginal law and spirituality are intertwined with the land, people and creation, and this forms the basis of their culture and sovereignty.

Aboriginal spirituality is deeply linked to the land and they believe that all objects are living and share the same soul or spirit, which they themselves share. It is primarily characterised by a belief in spirits who created the native environment, animals and people. This occurred during a particular creation period at the beginning of time called the “Dreamtime”. It is appropriate to use the plural, “spiritualties” because there is great diversity throughout the different tribes and clans of Australia. Aboriginal spirituality is tightly linked with the land through things such as the Dreamtime, ceremonial life and the many different totems.

Religion can be defined as a belief in, or an acknowledgement of some superhuman power or powers (ex. a god or gods) which is typically manifested in obedience, reverence, and worship; such a belief as part of a system defining a code of living, esp. as a means of achieving spiritual or material improvement. Religion, in the early times, helped to explain natural phenomenon, for instance, the stars,

All spiritual beliefs in Aboriginal culture relate back to the idea of creation and dreaming. The dreaming is the ongoing cultural and spiritual progression that informs identity and knowledge, which is expressed through traditional

The Dreaming is a fundamental concept referring to a group’s set of beliefs or spirituality. It provides essential cultural links, morals, ethics and a distinct identity to Aboriginal groups. Through the Dreaming, Aboriginal people recreate Dreamtime events to maintain contact with their Spirit Ancestors. The Dreaming allows a connection between the physical, human and sacred worlds. The Dreamtime is the ancient time of the creation of things by sacred ancestors, whose spirits live in the present world. Dreamtime stories clarify the creation and understanding of the world. These stories explain many important aspects of life to the Aboriginal people. The stories explain how everything in the Aboriginal people’s lives is connected together.

The aboriginal tribes were the first prehistoric religion that we studied; prehistoric religions provided us with insight on how older religions understood the world around them. Their religion is broken down into three separate parts; the first part are the “Creation Beings, many are involved with the creation of people, the landscape, and aspects of the environment, such as the creation of red, yellow or white pigments, so can be called “Creation Figures” or “Creation Beings” (Religion and Ceremony). This first beings are the being that are given credit

Religion is a combination of beliefs, world views and spiritual practises that relate humanity to a structure of existence. Religion is classed as ones “spiritual journey” and a spiritual journey could be considered to be anyone seeking an ultimate understanding of life and the world

- Religion as belief and meaning (one of the most popular views of today 's religion, being religious has to do with believing certain things, agreeing with assumptions, and accepting certain doctrines);

First, we must take time to train our individual families about our own heritage. It is training because individualism has placed distance between family members. When we do not spend a considerable amount of time with our family member’s ancient heritage can be lost or forgotten. We must train the upcoming generations about what ideals, religious and secular are important for their particular family. This will ensure that whatever Christmas traditions currently celebrated will continue in the years to come.

Religion is an all-inclusive establishment in human culture. It 's found in over a wide span of time, it is the establishment on which society stands, it deals with sacred things that lie past our insight and control. The word itself represents beliefs and practices that are by and large the primary attributes of all religions. At the core to all religions is the idea of faith which

The following paper examines the history and religion of the ancient Maori people. It is my belief that exploration of traditional belief systems and ritualistic practices will lead to a greater understanding of the Maori culture in present-day New Zealand. The objective of the paper is to illustrate the Maoris’ unique perception and spiritual connection with their natural environment.