Superstituous Ritual

By a superstitous ritual I mean doing something non-Biblical I don't like, in an organized way.

But surely this, from the BBC website, must be a great example.

Thanks to Neil Jeffers, who has yet to join the blogging revolution, for pointing it out.

Friday marks the most important day for Hindu pilgrims in the enormous Ardh Kumbh festival taking place in the northern Indian town of Allahabad.

The new moon night, or Mauni Amavasya, is celebrated on Friday, making it the most auspicious day in the six-week-long Hindu bathing festival. Millions of pilgrims are there.

A particularly choice quote is:

"I don't know the significance of this day but my Guru knows it"

This reminds me of a conversation I had with Brother Andrew (not the Brother Andrew). He is an Anglican monk in a silent enclosed vegitarian order! But I happened to be there on a feast day so we could have wine and conversation in few well chosen words.

I asked him why he crossed himself, which he must usually do at least 30 times a day.

He said, "Do you know, I've never really thought about it. I don't know. I suppose I do it because the Father Superior and the other members of the Community do it. If I really wanted to know why I do it I'd ask the Abbot".

Now I'm all for tradition, ritual, community and church authority but this seems like "I don't know but my Guru knows".