サイ, まつ.る, まつ.り, まつり

ritual, offer prayers, celebrate, deify, enshrine, worship

JLPT2 G3 S11 F1124

The top element was originally an abbreviated form# of scrape away impurities. adds altar/the supernatural → purify unclean meat by scraping away impurities and making an offering of it → *offer prayers*; *worship*; *festival* → *event*.

[Full Kanji Etymology List]