Harai

views updated

Harai or harae (Jap., harau, ‘to sweep or cleanse'). Shinto rite of exorcism or purification. It refers principally to ritual purification brought on by the waving of a sacred wand in order to prepare for worship. In other contexts, it may also refer to ritual cleansing (misogi) or other acts of atonement.

More From encyclopedia.com