儀式

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 儀式, read ぎしき, means a ceremony or ritual performed according to an established procedure.
• Basic usage: Use it for an activity carried out in a set form by a community, such as a spring-welcoming ceremony.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• An event and its form
  • 行事 broadly refers to a scheduled event, while 儀式 focuses on procedures and forms with symbolic significance.
• A ceremony being held
  • The example's 儀式が行われた is a passive expression meaning that a ceremony was held. It foregrounds the event rather than its organizers.