What Happens When We Lose Our Social Rituals?

What Happens When We Lose Our Social Rituals?
Weddings are uplifting for guests and sacred for participants. So when these crucial practices are suspended, we may need to find other ways to create shared meaning and experience.Pixabay
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When the shelter-in-place orders came down in California, the first thing I thought of was my cousin’s wedding—the one I was supposed to officiate. I’d been working on creating a special ceremony since the fall. But once the pandemic kicked in, everything was canceled.

Perhaps my cousin is luckier than some—after all, a wedding can be rescheduled. Even so, he had to let go of a cherished dream of when and how his wedding would take place.

Jill Suttie
Jill Suttie
Author
Jill Suttie, Psy.D., is Greater Good’s former book review editor and now serves as a staff writer and contributing editor for the magazine. This article was republished from the Greater Good online magazine.
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