Ceremony When the Romans fled before Brennus, one Albinus, who was carrying his wife and children
in a cart to a place of safety, overtook at Janiculum the Vestal virgins bending under their load, took them
up and conveyed them to Cærë, in Etruria. Here they remained, and continued to perform their sacred
rites, which were consequently called “Cære-monia.” (Livy, v.)
Scaliger says the word comes from cerus=sanctus. Cerus manus= Creator; and Cerco (according to
Varro) is by metathesis for creo. Ceres, according to Scaliger, is also from creo. By this etymology,
“Ceremony” means sacred rites, or solemn acts in honour of the Creator. The great objection to this
etymology is that Cicero, Tacitus, and other classic authors spell the word Cære-monia and not
Cere-monia.