釋奠

Etymology
Traditionally glossed (e.g. by ) as 釋菜奠幣 (to make a ritually clean offering of vegetables and ceremoniously lay the treasures of silk), it was specified in the  as part of a ritual honouring the, ancient instructors (of war).

The association of the school and education with war was once common in proto-feudal China (see ). The term was later used chiefly in the Confucian context as a ceremony honouring Confucius and other sages, without the warlike association.

Noun

 * 1)  ritual offering honouring ancient instructors
 * 2)  ceremony honouring Confucius and Confucian sages in schools