ancestor-worship
Noun: The religious or cultural practice of venerating, honoring, and showing respect to one's deceased ancestors, often through rituals, offerings, prayers, or ceremonies.
- (Veneration of deceased forebears through ritual.)
- (Honoring dead relatives as a moral duty.)
- (A ritual act of respect toward ancestors.)
"Ancestor-worship as social glue": The practice reinforces family and community bonds across generations.
- In many cultures, ancestor-worship serves to maintain lineage identity and social cohesion. (The custom unites living relatives with their heritage.)
"Ancestor-worship in modern contexts": Contemporary adaptations where symbolic gestures replace traditional rites.
- Some diaspora communities practice ancestor-worship through photo displays and annual memorial meals. (Modernized forms of ancestral veneration.)
Ancestor (n): a person from whom one is descended, typically more remote than a grandparent.
- They traced their ancestors back to the 17th century. (Forebears in family lineage.)
Worship (n/v): reverence or adoration for a deity or sacred person.
- The church service involved worship of God. (Religious devotion.)
Ancestor-veneration (n): a synonym often used in academic contexts to emphasize honor rather than literal worship.
- Ancestor-veneration in East Asia includes cleaning graves and offering food. (Respectful acts for forebears.)
- Ancestral reverence: deep respect for one's ancestors.
- Cult of the dead: a set of religious practices focused on deceased relatives.
- Filial piety: a Confucian virtue emphasizing respect for parents and ancestors.
"To honor one's ancestors": to show respect to forebears through tradition or memory.
- By continuing the family farm, he honored his ancestors. (Maintained a legacy from forebears.)
"The ancestors are watching": a belief that deceased relatives observe and influence the living.
- Behave properly — the ancestors are watching. (A moral reminder tied to ancestor-worship beliefs.)