Are rituals* important in our lives?

On my recent trip to India, I participated in a religious ritual relating to the death anniversary.

As part of the ritual, some of the activities didn’t make complete sense, but I enjoyed being part of it.

It made me think, why rituals? Is it important in our lives?

I believe the answer is “Yes.” The rituals I participated in allowed me to connect with a close group of family and friends. I got a sense of togetherness and being part of something bigger. The predictability of steps also gives a feeling of “security” in unpredictable and changing times.

For a similar reason, it is also common in many organizations to have rituals, e.g., morning coffee, Fika (Sweden), drinking after work, etc. Rituals play an important role as part of organizational culture. Amongst other things, it helps improving employee morale, builds team spirit and promotes a sense of belongingness.

Any new initiative (team events, celebrating cross-cultural functions etc.) in organization can become part of ritual if such initiatives are continued over a period of time.

*(Ritual is defined as a series of actions that are always performed in the same way in a particular situation.)