ceremonial code 

Computer programming code (typically APIs in a framework) where the use requires many specific things to be done before and/or after it in order for it to function but had it been in a more elegant way, could have been eliminated entirely. Many times the designers of these frameworks feel that what they're doing is so big, complex and important that requiring the consumers to perform the ceremony is completely justifiable. If they make it easy for you, they don't think you'll appreciate their genius. It can many times be assumed that the author would add that you kneel before him/her before you get the privilege of using their API if that were practice didn't completely expose their douchbaggery. They tend to get off on their (over-engineered) "cleverness" (codesturbation) and want others to regard them as code masters as well.

Microsoft's .NET framework requires a lot of ceremonial code to accomplish some truly mundane tasks... whereas Ruby On Rails thinks all that ceremony is simply a waste of developer time.

ceremonial code by nukespike September 16, 2010