“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” —Marcel Proust

The practice of rituals, notably within groups, stems from our most ancient instincts for connection and shared experience. Group rituals are part of how people harmonize their beliefs and behaviors with others. Historically, rituals have acted as a sort of social, cultural, or familial adhesive that facilitates bonding.

The December holidays—Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s typically evoke a variety of rituals—whether these involve setting up and decorating a Christmas tree, lighting a Hanukkah menorah, decorating the dinner table with the essential symbols of Kwanzaa, or partying till midnight on New Year’s Eve. Research demonstrates that having family rituals on holidays specifically, helps people feel more connected and enjoy the occasion more.[1]

What’s the difference between rituals and traditions?

While there is a relationship between rituals and traditions wherein traditions frequently contain particular rituals, there are distinct differences. A tradition is a broader custom, belief, action, or set of actions often passed down from one generation to the next. Traditions may be shared among communities, often with cultural or historical significance, such as celebrating Thanksgiving. Rituals are the formalized, specific and sequenced behaviors that bring traditions to life, for example the specific dishes served for the Thanksgiving meal. Rituals can exist as elements of traditions or be completely independent of them.

Distinguishing rituals from habits

Habits and rituals can be confused because they sometimes overlap. Rituals can become habitual, while habits can be ritualized. A habit is a regular practice or behavior—that can be conscious (brushing your teeth 2x/day) or unconscious (defaulting to doomscrolling on your phone). In contrast, rituals are intentional actions done in a structured way, that take something ordinary and give it greater meaning, turning it into something important or even sacred—like a daily practice of meditation, prayer, or gratitude.

Rituals are focused more on process than outcome, though a particular outcome may be a result of the process. Rituals conducted with groups (including families) enhance a sense of connection with others, whereas individual rituals create deeper connection with oneself and one’s values.

How rituals contribute to health and well-being

Whether you engage in rituals by yourself or with others, they can have significant positive effects on your well-being. Research indicates that rituals can lead to decreased anxiety, stronger relationships, and more meaning in everyday life.[2]

It is human nature to seek predictability, and rituals center around repetition in that you know what to do and when to do it. This intentional process provides a sense of continuity—including in stressful and anxiety-provoking situations. Rituals give psychological organization to our experience. They provide a familiar structure to our lives. And even when we’re ambivalent about a particular ritual, that familiarity induces a degree of mental-emotional comfort as well as an injection of certainty in times that often feel increasingly uncertain.

Incorporating rituals in everyday life

• Tune in to and notice what you’re already doing. Do any of the simple habits or activities in which you regularly engage have special significance/meaning for you? Are these things you do alone or with others? Do you have a usual morning and/or evening routine? Do you feel somewhat “off” when you don’t follow it? Routines are habitual actions focused on getting something done while a ritual is a routine imbued with mindfulness, meaning, and purpose. Which of your current routines might you benefit from by transforming them into rituals through conscious intention and attention?

• Evaluate what works for you as well as what doesn’t.** When a ritual works well for you, make a conscious decision to continue it and consider doing more of it. **Conversely, if a ritual in which you’ve been engaging no longer serves you well, it may be beneficial to modify or discontinue it. For example, I have an extensive daily morning ritual that includes a specific sequence of meditation and prayer, along with both passive and active stretching. From time to time, I add some elements and subtract others, based on what fits my priorities best in the present. What works for us changes over time as our life experience evolves. It’s healthy to discontinue personal rituals that no longer make sense for your life, as well as remove yourself from collective rituals that no longer align with your current values.

• Be open to new and different rituals, including those you’re exposed to through other people. When we approach our experiences with a genuinely open mind and open heart, we maximize our opportunities to encounter rituals that we may wish to incorporate into our own lives.

• Engage in activities that feel personally significant. Remember, rituals are defined less by the actual activity than by the meaning, perspective, and attitude you assign to that activity. Being of service to others by volunteering time and energy for a cause aligned with your values is one way of accomplishing this. Research finds that volunteering boosts happiness by providing a sense of purpose, and this benefit is especially potent among people ages 45 to 80 and older.[3]

Happiness Essential Reads

No matter your stage of life, it’s always possible (and healthy) to add more meaning, purpose, and sense of sacredness to your experiences. And rituals are a powerful vehicle for actualizing this.

Copyright 2025 Dan Mager, LCSW.

References

[1] Ovul Sezer, Michael I. Norton, Francesca Gino, and Kathleen D. Vohs, Family Rituals Improve the Holidays, Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, Volume 1, Number 4. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/688495

[2] Hobson NM, Schroeder J, Risen JL, Xygalatas D, Inzlicht M. The Psychology of Rituals: An Integrative Review and Process-Based Framework. Pers Soc Psychol Rev. 2018 Aug;22(3):260-284. doi: 10.1177/1088868317734944. Epub 2017 Nov 13. PMID: 29130838.

[3] Association of volunteering with mental well-being: a lifecourse analysis of a national population-based longitudinal study in the UK, BMJ Open 2016;6:e011327. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011327