Sacrifice

A sacrifice is an act or an offering made to a deity.

People might offer a sacrifice to show praise or to say thank you. Other times, it is used for propitiation, which means trying to please a god. The word itself comes from the Latin term sacrificium. This word combines ideas about doing or making sacred things. In many languages, the word implies giving something up or doing without something.

Even in games like chess, people use the word metaphorically. They might sacrifice a piece to gain a bigger advantage later.

Many thinkers have wondered why people practice sacrifice.

One scholar, E.B. Tylor, thought it might be a gift to the divine. He suggested the gift could be valued for its own merit or for the hardship it caused. William Robertson Smith argued that sacrifice helps humans reach communion with the divine. He looked at the Hebrew Bible to support this idea. Émile Durkheim believed sacrifice had two jobs. He said it helped people connect with gods and with each other. He studied Aboriginal Australians to show how sacrifices helped build social ties.

History shows that different cultures have used many kinds of offerings.

Ancient Hebrews and Greeks used ritual animal sacrifice. The ancient Egyptians had specific rules for which animals they could offer. They were allowed to use sheep, bulls, calves, male calves, and geese. In ancient China, the ruling class had a complex system for sacrificing to ancestors. During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, this helped show the strength of the emperor. Some groups, like the Mohists, thought these rituals were too expensive for society. Confucius wanted to use a system that did not include human sacrifice.

Some ancient cultures practiced human sacrifice to please spirits.

People might do this to dedicate a new temple or bridge. It was also done when a great leader or king died. Some believed the person would accompany the leader into the next life. During natural disasters like droughts, sacrifices were sometimes used to lessen divine anger. The Aztecs are well known for this practice in Mesoamerica. They may have performed between two thousand and twenty thousand sacrifices each year. They did this to help the sun rise or to bring the rains. Today, any such act is considered murder.

Many religions still have special ways to honor their beliefs.

In Christianity, many believe Jesus was a sacrifice to reconcile humanity with God. This is often remembered through the Eucharist or the Mass. Some followers of the Yoruba religion still use animal offerings to give thanks to the Oriœsa. In Chinese folk religions, people might offer pork, chicken, or fish. During the Ghost Festival, they might even use whole goats or pigs. These traditions show how people use offerings to connect with their faith.