Religious beliefs are expressed through ritualized behaviour and festivals. Many rituals and all festivals take place in public, meaning that these expressions of faith are societal as well as individual forms of human behaviour. There is considerable similarity across cultures and religions in the general patterns of rituals and festivals. For example, nearly all cultures and religions mark major life course transitions such as birth, marriage and death with public ritual expressions, and many festivals are tied to food-producing activities such as planting and harvesting. The Encyclopedia explores this complex topic through articles covering general concepts and ideas, major forms of ritual and festival, life cycle rites and specific rites and festivals such as Easter, Christmas, Passover, Ramadan, kava rituals and many more.