An article from TIME magazine expresses the importance of creating family rituals. Rituals on the family level bring them together and are stressed by psychologists for families to create (Dickinson, 1999). The ritual that is explained in the article is one that many families do annually on the weekend holiday of Memorial Day weekend.
On this weekend the author recalls what her family ritual involves. Her family readies the goodies of summer fun on this weekend. The bicycles get pulled out of their winter hiding places and the summer flowers are planted to be enjoyed for their short life. The most important part of the ritual that is described is the part when they go to the cemetery because at this point the history of each family member that had served in the military is mentioned (Dickinson, 1999). They also mention different family member careers to show how normal careers were incorporated into their unique family (Dickinson, 1999).
This article pushes for families to start their own rituals and gives examples of ways to do it (Dickinson, 1999). It helps point out that there are some things that are rituals that many do not recognize. On a personal level it can be as simple as bushing ones hair each night before bed or dancing each time a certain song comes on the radio. It could also be a certain handshake that is exchanged when saying hello to a friend or a restaurant where a meal is shared on a certain day.
Whatever the habit or ritual is that one shares with family or friends, it is something that brings families closer and builds bonds and stories to be shared by generations. The passing of rituals is important to keep the families uniqueness and history alive through the years.
Works Cited
Dickinson, A. (1999, May 31). Family Legends. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database on July 14, 2010, from Time: http://0-search.ebscohost.com.olinkserver.franklin.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=1866565&site=ehost-live
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