sacred offerings
Gifts for deities
Sacred offerings are items presented to a deity, spirit, or religious institution as acts of worship, gratitude, or petition.
These may include food, drink, incense, flowers, animals, or valuables—anything set apart from ordinary use and dedicated to the divine.
The practice appears across virtually all religious traditions: The priest placed sacred offerings on the altar.
What qualifies as sacred depends entirely on the tradition; wine and bread in one context, rice and fruit in another.
- candlesWax lights with wicks
- ritual fireFlames used in ceremonies
- prayersReverent petitions to deity
- prayer beadsCounting aid for worship
- incenseAnger greatly, or aromatic resin
coins · flowers · altars · altar cloth · offering plate · sacrifices · firstfruits · harvest festival · votive · oblations · peace offering · consecration · holy water · temples · grains · chants · holy texts · tithes
- Southeast Asian folklorefolktales, ghosts, spirits, nagas, ancestor spirits
- Temple sacrificessacrifices, burnt offering, sin offering, peace offering, drink offering
- Shinto shrinestorii, torii gate, jinja, haiden, main hall
- jungle huntingblowgun, blowguns, bow hunting, bows, arrows