[Green-Moo]

Are there major differences in FreeMasonry from country to country, other than how open it is? I wondered if different traditions develop in different places.

[Jason]

Originally Posted by Green-Moo

Are there major differences in FreeMasonry from country to country, other than how open it is? I wondered if different traditions develop in different places.

There are some differences in Rituals. Also some Lodges outside the U.S. have alcohol in the building, where in America that will not be found.

[cemab4y]

Masonic ritual varies somewhat from state to state, here in the USA. I have attended lodge in France, Saudi Arabia, and Russia. Next week I will attend lodge for the first time in Iraq.

France uses a different ritual, than the USA. Russia has adopted the French ritual, and translated it into Russian. There are lodges in the Czech republic, which practice different rituals, but they have agreed to merge, and adopt a unified ritual.

US military lodges on bases abroad, use the ritual from the Grand Lodge, which sponsors the lodge. My lodge in Iraq, is sponsored by the Grand Lodge of New York, so we use the New York ritual.

Regardless of the variations in the ritual, the fraternity is the same great organization, world wide.