Can somebody explain like I'm five what Confucius means when he says ritual in works such as the Analects? I looked it up but it just seems a bit difficult for me to grasp the definition.
I suppose you talk about li. Out is generally translated into English as ritual however it is more than that.
Li is the way one interact with universe and other people. They all soul be accordingly. In social context some aspects of li are obeying elders, fulfilling social task and behave as expected. Drinking tea, poetry, singing are all more ritualistic parts of the li but not all of it.
Rigid rules and procedures an individual used for certain social, political, and religous scenarios. How a lower ranking person behaved and acted around a higher ranking person for example.