--- title: "What is a pilgrim?" description: "What is a pilgrim?" author: "Aaron Johnson" published: 2018-01-14 canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/32965/what-is-a-pilgrim category: "history, politics & society" tags: ["united states of america(usa)", "history"] reading_time: 2 minutes --- # What is a pilgrim? What is a pilgrim? ## Answers ### Answer by Stuti Gupta **A [pilgrim](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilgrim) is somebody who travels to a sacred location**. This is usually a physical pilgrimage to a site of huge importance to the devotee of a certain religious belief system. The notion of pilgrim and journey may relate to the reality of living in the world or the interior path of the intellectual seeker from wretchedness to beatitude in [Christian](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/39215/billy-graham-the-renowned-christian-evangelist-has-passed-away-he-was-related-to-which-country) spiritual literature. \ Many religions, including those of ancient Egypt, Persia during the Mithraic period, **India, China, and Japan**, include pilgrims and pilgrimages. The Greek and Roman customs of paying respects to the gods at local prophets, like those at Dodona and Delphi in Greece, are well-known. Pilgrimages in [Greece](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/42556/why-did-president-truman-ask-congress-to-give-financial-aid-to-greece-and-turkey) might be private or state-sponsored. \ Pilgrims journeyed to Shiloh, Dan, Bethel, and finally Jerusalem in ancient Hebrew history. While many pilgrims visit a specific location, it is not always necessary. The Peregrinari Pro Christ (Pilgrims for Christ), or 'white martyrs,' were a group of early Celtic [Christians](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/36590/what-is-the-difference-between-syrian-christians-and-roman-christians) who abandoned their homes to roam the world. This type of pilgrimage was an austere religious practice in which the pilgrim left the safety of his or her home and clan for an unknown destination, entirely relying on Divine Providence. These journeys frequently led to the establishment of **new abbeys and the spread of Christianity** among Britain's and continental Europe's pagan populations. --- Original Source: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/32965/what-is-a-pilgrim Copyright © MindStick Software Pvt. Ltd. This Markdown version is provided for developers, AI systems, and offline reading.