Rituals

3.1

A ritual is a set of actions performed that follow a traditional or symbolic pattern.  These apply to things like religion, family, politics, even in everyday life.

I perform a number of rituals regularly in society.  First I go to work Monday through Friday, basically 9-5 (really more like 9-9).  Church is attended at certain times, like Sunday and Wednesday, and following traditional activities during the services (Catholic folks have certain words they say back during the service, and we kneel a lot).  We vote in prearranged elections, and follow the traditional observance of American holidays.

In my family we have some traditions, such as my daughter and I playing trivia  on Thursdays when she is away at school, and my family travels to visit relatives once a year.  My mom and I have recently started a tradition of watching the ten o’clock news together.  We always open one gift on Christmas Eve, and we have a certain ornament that has to be on the tree every year.  For birthdays, we give “experiences” rather than tangible gifts, like going to the zoo, or learning how to skydive.

There are a great many rituals that are prevalent in today’s society.  We sing the national anthem before games, and recite the Pledge of Allegiance to our flag at schools and government meetings.  There are a huge amount of ceremonial rituals performed by every religion.  Right now it is Ramadan in the Islamic faith, and observers cannot eat or drink during daylight hours.  Revelers dress up at Halloween, or for Mardi Gras, and observers of Christmas give gifts.  We swear in a witness at a trial, or have visitors sign in at offices.  We send our resume in search of a job, and greet our business cohorts with a handshake.  It goes all the way down to saying hello, and goodbye, in conversations or when meeting others.

A ritual I would like to develop with my family is to spend time together once per week, maybe just have dinner out, and each person tell a story—to share our past with the younger members so that our traditions and history is not lost.