CEREMONY A choice of ceremonies 1. Four Seasons Spring Summer Fall Winter 2. Family Shichi-go-san for children Wedding House Purification Baby’s first visit to the shrine Car safety 3. Company Groundbreaking Completion of the building Opening of new space Construction safety Car safety Opening new event Business prosperity SHINTOCEREMONY Shinto ceremonies herald new beginnings. Examples include the new year, a new season, birth, marriage, the coming of age for young adults, or for young children, reaching the ages of 3, 5 and 7 years. Ceremonies are held to mark the construction of new houses, offices and factories. Ceremonies are held at the beginning of an event such as an exhibition, a conference or the launch of a new product. Ceremonies are woven into the fabric of everyday life. They contribute to the sense of nature as a source of material and spiritual energy. Ceremonies enhance the awareness that everybody is sincerely involved in the successful carrying out of a new project. The ceremony expresses respect and gratitude for nature and gently binds the spiritual and mundane worlds together. The core of this tradition is a deep sense of nature. Nature has the dynamic power of renewal. By attuning to its dynamics, we receive the energy to face all problems and hardship of daily life and to enjoy life.    © 1981 JAPANESE DUTCH SHINZEN FOUNDATION