The genesis of ritual is the act of giving a gift.
Gift-giving has a ceremonial aspect to it that feels like the prototype for all ritual behavior. The impulse to surround and encase in ceremony and ritual the giving of a gift or the getting of a gift or the reciprocating of a gift makes gift exchange the ground for religious ritual.
What is being elevated into a new order of existence is the appreciation for the feelings of gratitude that come with getting or reciprocating a gift or having one’s own gift well received.
Gifting is much about engendering more and more gratitude in the world, to make it a better place.
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