ceremonies

noun pl. ceremonies

1. a formal act or set of formal acts established by custom or authority as proper to a special occasion, such as a wedding, religious rite, etc.
2. the service or function at which such acts are performed
3. a conventionally courteous or polite act
4. behavior that follows rigid etiquette or a prescribed form
5. 1. formality or formalities
   2. empty or meaningless formality, or an act suggesting this