Rituals in sacred journeys often involve wearing specific forms of dress that symbolize meaning. For example, male Hajj travellers put on a white garment comprising two pieces of unsewn cloth, the Ihram that indicates their pilgrim status. The Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Reverend James Jones has spoken of ‘the outer robe’ worn by clergy, that symbolizes the office of deacon, priest or bishop, warning that this external garment ‘must never be confused with the inner person’. This highlights the complexity of what is worn outwardly, to signal beliefs and values, identifying the plural identity not only of Anglican clergy but also of other religious adherents following a ritual journey. Unlike the Hajj pilgrims, such ritual garments may encompass a wide range of outerwear, and may not be part of a formal or required mode of dress. For example, many large independent churches host a range of events, in which for some, participation is aform of religious journey. One such international event is Cherish, held in Leeds, Yorkshire. Every year, the conference organizers produce a series of themed T-shirts and other branded items of clothing and jewellery, which are purchased by many of the participants. Some years ago, one of the guest speakers featured at the conference spoke on the theme of ‘Daughters of the King’ (‘the King’ refers to Jesus). The accompanying T-shirts proclaimed the message: ‘Daughter of the King’. By wearing this T-shirt, wearers embodied the messages and images it bore. It identified them as daughters, and connected them to other daughters. By simply wearing a T-shirt, this concept of being a daughter thus linked wearers to a network of specifically Christian women, as daughters; this action forms part of the multiple narratives that connect not only to the T-shirt and how the women dress, but also to the whole of their lives, beyond the event. Another narrative of this T-shirt is that of belonging to the community that is the Cherish women’s conference. Being a ‘Daughter of the King’ identifies the wearer as a Christian, and within that faith, as a specific type of Christian; these are some of the assumptions that could be made about wearers, based on the T-shirt alone (Source: Spiritual Journeys and Pilgrimage Tourism).
Cultural Relevance of Ritual in Pilgrimage Tourism
