popular tourist sites. Many shrines have a unique rubber-stamp seal which visitors can get printed into their stamp book, demonstrating the different shrines they have visited. Harae and hōbei Shinto rituals begin with a process of purification, or . Using fresh water or salt water, this is known as . At shrines, this entails sprinkling this water onto the face and hands, a procedure known as , using a font known as a . Another form of purification at the start of a Shinto rite entails waving a white paper streamer or wand known as the . When not in use, the is usually kept in a stand. The priest waves the horizontally over a person or object being purified in a movement known as ("left-right-left"). Sometimes, instead of a , the purification is carried out with an , a branch of evergreen to which strips of paper have been attached. The waving of the is often followed by an additional act of purification, the , in which the priest sprinkles water, salt, or brine over those assembled from a wooden box called the or . The acts of purification accomplished, petitions known as are spoken to the . This is followed by an appearance by the , who commence in a slow circular motion before the main altar. Offerings are then presented to the by being placed on a table. This act is known as ; the offerings themselves as or . Historically, the offerings given the included food, cloth, swords, and horses. In the contemporary period, lay worshippers usually give gifts of money to the while priests generally offer them food, drink, and sprigs of the sacred tree. Animal sacrifices are not considered appropriate offerings, as the shedding of blood is seen as a polluting act that necessitates purification. The offerings presented are sometimes simple and sometimes more elaborate; at the Grand Shrine of Ise, for instance, 100 styles of food are laid out as offerings. The choice of offerings will often be tailored to the specific and occasion. Offerings of food and drink are specifically termed . Sake, or rice wine, is a very common offering to the . After the offerings have been given, people often sip rice wine known as . Drinking the wine is seen as a form of communion with the . On important occasions, a feast is then held, known as ,