The First Rite of Ascension — As a young Klingon approaches the Age of Ascension (about 13 years old) he must declare his intention to become a warrior by lighting a Kor'tova Candle which is a symbol of the fire in a warrior's heart. Then his fighting skills, stamina and knowledge of Kahless' teachings are rigorously tested. (Firstborn)

The Second Rite of Ascension — This difficult trial marks a new level of spiritual attainment for a Klingon warrior.  The ritual begins when the warrior, facing a phalanx of fellow Klingons, proclaims, "Today I am a warrior. I must show you my heart. I travel the river of blood." He then walks a path between two columns of Klingons who test him by subjecting his body to jolts from powerful painstiks. Finally, exhausted but showing no ill effects of the rite, the Klingon proclaims, "The battle is mine. I crave only the blood of the enemy." Thereafter, a warrior often celebrates the ten-year anniversary his Second Rite of Ascension. (The Icarus Factor)

Rituals of Courtship, Marriage and Divorce

Klingons do not approach mating gently, and courtship takes the same approach. While humans would consider much of what passes for courting between Klingons potentially criminal, amongst Klingons this is normal. The physical boundaries between the couple are tested and the combination of pleasure mixed with pain reflects the path that the two are considering sharing.

The whole process of courtship can encompass several aspects in order to show the female that the male is worthy of her love. For instance, food — freshly killed of course — can be introduced to symbolically show that he is ready to provide for her on a regular basis. Beauty for Klingons is often associated with physical strength, as opposed to the more Earth-centric idea that beauty is either in the eye of the beholder or an aesthetic constant. To a Klingon, violence itself can be the ultimate aphrodisiac.

Oath of Union — Klingons usually mate for life, and the union — once a couple is "engaged" — is solemnized with a sacred traditional oath. (The Emissary)

Klingon Wedding —  A Klingon couple are linking themselves, and given the confrontational and aggressive nature of the race, this relationship, while possessing the potential for softer interaction, will also be filled with challenges between the two on many levels. Thus, a Klingon couple looks forward to a future filled with howling fights and tender moments, forever and intractably linked, for better or worse, as companions.

The Klingon wedding is an elaborate affair that requires punctilious planning and observation. Separate rites and rituals are performed by the bride and groom in the days leading up to the wedding. To begin the actual ceremony, a targ is ritually sacrificed and its blood is shed prior to the guests feasting. Also during the wedding, a ritual bat'leth fight takes place between the two participants. (You Are Cordially Invited...)

Brek'tal — If the leader of a Klingon house is slain in honorable combat, the victor may be invited to take his place and his wife. The ritual ceremony can be completed with just a single witness who requires no special status — even a servant will do. Wearing ceremonial robes, each member of the couple recites "Go'Eveh lu cha wabeh to va re'Luk," followed by the witness proclaiming "Ghos ma'lu Kah".

Klingon Divorce — The Klingon divorce involves the petitioner striking the defendant spouse, and reciting the words "N'Gos tlhogh cha!" and then spitting as a closing act.  The divorce ceremony requires no further witness nor official to complete the process. (The House of Quark)

Honor and Dishonor

One of the most important of all Klingon values, honor is regarded as highly as a warrior's ability in battle. The most devastating event in Klingon society is not the death of a family member, but the loss of honor or a disgraced House name. Status is important and when a House is disgraced, it affects a whole family line. And when a Klingon is officially stripped of his honor, his entire House bears the same disgrace. To restore honor, a member of the accused family must challenge the High Council, and what follows resembles what other cultures might call a trial. However, here the accused are considered guilty and must prove their innocence, as opposed to the High Council having to prove guilt.

Discommendation — Discommendation is the process of being socially barred and declared a "non-person" in Klingon society, labeled publicly as a coward and thereby being stripped of honor. The discommendation ceremony is brief and yet powerful in nature — the accused is surrounded by a circle of persons facing him, who in turn cross their clenched fists over their chest and turn outward on their heel. (Sins of the Father)

Restoration of Honor — When a dishonored Klingon is finally cleared of the disgrace suffered, his name and House must have their honor restored to them, sweeping away all past shame. The ritual by which honor is restored takes place with the Chancellor and the High Council present to witness the restoration publicly.  During the restoration ceremony the formally disgraced party must endure pain. Worf performed the ceremony, which included gripping the razor-sharp edge of Gowron's extended dagger until blood was drawn; he did so without flinching. (Redemption, Part I)

Rituals of Succession

Sonchi Ceremony — When a leader dies the witnesses to the Sonchi Ceremony apply painstiks to the corpse of the leader while uttering the challenge "Qab jIH nagil!" Which translates literally to "face / me / dare." "Sonchi" is also the word of confirmation used when all parties have challenged and confirmed the death of the passed-on leader. It means "He is dead."

The Ja'chuq —  Modern Klingon practices have seen the Klingon Rite of Succession ceremony conclude with only a brief proclamation that two challengers vying for leadership had been decided upon. However, the older form of the ceremony concluded instead with the ja'chuq — the listing of battles won and the prizes taken by each challenger. (Reunion)

Death Rituals and Traditions

Death Wail — If a warrior dies in the field of battle, he is presumed to be passing from this life into the next. He therefore requires some help, from those still living, to announce the warrior's imminent arrival into the afterlife.  After a Klingon peers into a just-deceased brethren's eyes and looks at death in the face, all Klingons who are present (although even a lone warrior will also perform this ritual on the deceased, given the opportunity) join in a tremendously loud and powerful howl skyward, which lasts several seconds. The howling signifies a traditional warning to the hereafter that "a Klingon warrior is about to arrive!"  There is also a chant that can be recited following a death: "Only Kronos endures. In death there is victory and honor." No ceremony attends the corpse afterwards, which is viewed as "just an empty shell" and discarded in that manner. (Heart of Glory)

Suicide — There are several Klingon rituals for taking one's own life. In one ceremony a Klingon who is under extreme mental duress or is going insane kills himself with a ceremonial dagger, that is normally kept on display in the home with tall vials of liquid and an ornate round metal plate (presumably to provide a constant reminder of the nearness of death). The knife tip is held to the plate and poured one of the liquids down the blade. Specific words are spoken, including apologies to family members left behind,  and then the Klingon stabs himself. (Night Terrors)

Hegh'bat — When an injured Klingon feels that he can no longer fend for himself and will thus become a burden to society, then he can honorably and justifiably take his own life. A family member, preferably the first-born son, is to bring the knife and then attend as the warrior impales himself through the heart; the family member then withdraws the weapon and wipes the blood on his sleeve. Among the ceremonial objects used is the Klingon dagger and a special type of cloak. (Ethics)

Mauk-to Vor Ritual —  This ritual is performed by a disgraced Klingon who feels he no longer deserves to live. This can often involve a second that assists the person performing the death ritual. 

Gre'thor — In Klingon culture and theology, the place where the dishonored go to die. Fek'lyr stands guard. (The Devil's Due)

Sto-Vo-Kor — The afterlife of the Klingon honored dead, presided over by Kahless until his return to the world of the living. (Rightful Heir)

Other Ceremonies, Rituals, Celebrations and Traditions

Religious Meditation — When Klingons find themselves in moral quandaries or inner turmoil, one tradition holds that lengthy meditation and earnest faith will result in a vision of their spiritual guiding light, Kahless the Unforgettable. The desired result is a vision that would help one find solutions. (Rightful Heir)

Festival of Kot'Baval — This festival celebrates the victory of Kahless the Unforgettable against the tyrant Molar, a pivotal point in Klingon history. Through an elaborate and interactive re-enactment of the battle, in which Klingon Opera is used to emphasize the grandiosity of the event, observers and participants experience the struggle symbolically and vicariously. (Firstborn)

Klingon Tea Ceremony — A ritual using a drink deadly to humans — and only slightly less unhealthy for Klingons — as a test of bravery and a reinforcement of the preference for facing death as a shared experience. The ceremony includes a chalice for each participant plus an extra one, along with the woody stem whose seeds and tulip-like flowers are plucked to make the tea. (Up The Long Ladder)

Day of Honor — One of the most reflective of the Klingon rituals is the annual Day of Honor. For this, a Klingon looks back on his life and examines his behavior to see if it can measure up to that of Kahless. With traditional blood pie served on the day and a targ's heart eaten in a symbolic gesture that brings courage to the participant, the Klingon is also asked by an interrogator if he has come to have his honor challenged. The Klingon is then further questioned and through his answers he comes to the realization of whether or not the previous year has been one he can be proud of. If his worthiness is suspect, he may either be tasked with the Ritual of 20 Painstiks or forced to battle a bat'leth master. Once completed, the Klingon can make start to make amends for his shortcomings or be proud of his worthiness.   
 
Rite of MajQa — A ritual vision quest of Klingons, it manifests itself in deep meditation which is undertaken in the lava caves of No'Mat. The effect of the intense heat in these caves after a time induces hallucinations in participants, many of which are considered profound. The most important revelation one can achieve on this quest is a vision about one's father.

Hunting and Singing — Amongst the oldest of Klingon traditions revolves around the glory of the hunt. Klingons look upon their prey with honor, respecting the beasts they hunt as they would enemies. They celebrate the victory of the hunt as they feast with age-old songs celebrating the hunter and hunted.  Occasionally, the songs and tales of the exploits of a Klingon warrior can slightly romanticize or embellish the events of the kills or battles but exaggeration and boasting is frowned upon.

The R'uustai — Literally, the Klingon word meaning "the bonding." In a sometimes violent society such as the Klingon Empire, orphans or those without a family or House are not uncommon. The R'uustai, a ceremony of adoptive brotherhood, takes place to cement ties between the non-related. Both participants wear ceremonial vests and each use a candle to light their own set of three large candles apiece as they invoke the memory of their mothers by reciting "SoS jIH batlh SoH" ("Mother[s] I [we] honor you"). According to the tradition, once the ceremony is performed, they are now brothers, and their families are stronger because of the union. (The Bonding)

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