Picking the Christmas tree ritual!

Like it or not, ritual is a part of our life. Although the word no longer applies exclusively to religious ceremony, but to any action we perform “according to a prescribed order.”

According to the Brussat’s, “Rituals are a central part of life whether it be in how meals are shared together, or how major events are marked…Rituals give us places to be playful, to explore the meaning of our lives, and to rework and rebuild family relationships. they connect us with our past, define our present life, and show us a path to our future as we pass on ceremonies, traditions, objects, symbols, and ways of being with each other, handed down from previous generations.”

Some of my favorite rituals include: the cookies we only have at Christmas, morning

Pumpkin Carving!

coffee, pull ‘n’ peel Twizzlers on trail rides, getting together with family at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, morning runs, tomato juice and cheesy Ritz crackers for elk hunting, Meadow Mountain Cafe in Allenspark after hikes, wranglers-night-out, taking the  boys out to eat to celebrate the first day of school, opening up the barn to start a summer at camp, meeting friends for coffee and conversation, and many others as well.

Pull N Peel!

I’m not sure how some rituals begin, but I’ve noticed that Robert and I have developed some rituals together. I have my own rituals as well-for blogging, grading, getting ready for bed, for driving to school-and I wonder why ritual is so important to us. I think it gives me a sense of place, things I look forward to, and connection to family and friends. What are your favorite rituals?