This book demonstrates that our daily relations, like our most recognized institutions, are based on a symbolic foundation put in place by rituals. Rituals are present at every level of society and are an expression of the sacredness of society, as much as they are an expression of the cultures and eras that communicate through them.

Pascal Lardellier is Professor at the University of Burgundy, a researcher at CIMEOS and at PROPEDIA (IGS Group, Paris). Among his 20 books, several examine rituals in depth. This particular book proposes a summary of more than two decades of his research on them.