Asian Rituals and Traditions - Page 2

Harae, or purification rites, are among the most ancient practices of Shintō, Japan’s indigenous belief system. Their earliest forms trace back to the Kofun period, when communities believed spiritual pollution, or kegare, disrupted harmony between people and the kami, the divine spirits shaping all natural and social life. By the 7th century, during the Heian era, Harae rituals became formalised