Extraordinary Rituals

On our journey from cradle to grave, we mark the most important moments of our lives with rituals and ceremonies around birth, marriage and death. These life events, and often the emotions around them, are universal. Yet across the globe we perform them in extremely different ways. With the birth of a child, parents will do anything to protect them. In Japan a 400 year-old ceremony called Naki Sumo sees mothers hand over their babies to professional sumo wrestlers, who then compete to make them cry - all in the popular belief that 'crying babies grow strong'. In the Brazilian Amazon, the Kayapo people believe that birth is a time of great danger, when their ancestors try to steal the baby's soul back into the land of the dead. Until 20 years ago, they had had no access to modern medicine so many babies died in infancy. The family of 19-year-old Irenekwa perform rituals to protect her new-born son - bathing him with medicinal plants, piercing his ears to open his senses to the world, and painting him with the dye of a jenipapo fruit to express their love. For Irenekwa herself, becoming a mother is an important coming of age, giving her a new status in the community. Around the world there are rituals that mark the transition from child to adult. In the UK, the American import of the school prom is increasingly popular. But in some cultures, young boys in particular still undergo ancient and sometimes brutal rites of passage to become men. One of the most extreme is in Papua New Guinea, where young men's skin is cut with the patterns of crocodile scales to represent the strength and power of an ancient crocodile spirit. John has spent six months sequestered in a spirit house, learning lessons on manhood from the elders and building up fat with the help of meals cooked by his mother Mathilda. It is preparation for the cutting ceremony, when hundreds of razor cuts are made in John's torso, each representing a bite from the crocodile spirit. Finding a partner is often

Great Gatherings looks at rituals that bring people together in huge numbers, and explores how these incredible ceremonies keep communities alive and help us to reinforce our own identity by joining the crowd. These rituals bind us together, whether as part of a cheering football crowd or standing silent on Armistice Day. By sharing our experiences with thousands or millions of people, rituals can make us feel part of something greater than ourselves. Siena in Italy is a walled, medieval city divided into 17 districts. For centuries these neighbourhoods have settled their rivalries in a ritual horserace, the Palio. Avio Tanganelli is fiercely loyal to his district Giraffa, and epitomises the Sienese passion for the Palio. For him, 'the Palio is war'. The tension mounts for Avio as each district is allotted its horse, and its form is tested over a series of trial races. On race day, the horse is ritually blessed in the local chapel, before it is led in great ceremony to the central square. Finally, the jockeys push and jostle to line up for this three-lap, 70-second race. In Peru, communities aren't divided by rivalry but by the vast Andes mountains. To the people of this region, the annual festival of Qoyllur Rit'I is hugely important, bringing together eight regional clans for the highest mass ritual on Earth. The pilgrims hike to 4,800m to perform rituals from Inca times, now mixed with Catholicism. Each clan dances for the others to reinforce their shared Andean culture. For the dance of the llama, herders they wear llama skins and knitted balaclavas to resemble the llama's head, while others from the lowland rainforest have costumes of vivid colours and tropical bird feathers. For some, Qoyllur Rit'i is a chance to really commit to their clan. For Sam Vivero to become a guardian of his clan's traditions, he must submit to a painful initiation. At dawn, by a sacred Inca glacier, he is whipped three times by the clan chief. For Sam, it is a ritual of self

This final episode looks at how rituals adapt in our changing world. Rituals have always evolved, but as the pace of change increases, how do ancient ceremonies stay relevant, how do they change, and when do we invent new rituals to answer our needs? In Rajesthan, India, Bhumi Shah is a 24-year-old business graduate who speaks three languages - she is a modern woman with many opportunities, yet she has decided to reject modern society to become a Jain nun. This ancient religion practises absolute non-violence, with devotees walking barefoot to avoid harming any creatures. Bhumi begins a series of rituals to be initiated as a nun. First, she is dressed as a bride and parades through the street to symbolise the material things she is giving up for a life of austerity. Then before a great crowd and her new guru, every hair on her head is pulled out by hand, to show she rejects all personal desires. For her family, it is the painful loss of a daughter - for Bhumi, this ritual is an essential step towards liberating her soul. While Jain nuns reject worldly riches, in Senegal a young wrestler is hoping rituals can bring him wealth. The ancient tradition of wrestling has become the country's biggest sport, with champions earning £100,000 in a single bout. Fighters still use rituals, amulets and potions to give them the edge in the arena. Tribal dances, prayers written in the sand, and magic call on their ancestors for courage and support. George Sarr is hoping to win a local tournament for the chance to fight in the big league in the capital, Dakar, and to raise his family from poverty. Around the world many customs are coming under threat from globalisation, and as they embrace some elements of modern life communities are choosing what to hold on to. In Greenland, some Inuit people are trying to protect their traditions in the face of social change and now also against the threat of global warming. In this harsh landscape communities have only been able to surv