Routines and Rituals

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Rituals and Routines Routines and rituals are easy to mix up, in my opinion. The functions of family life are so intertwined that it can sometimes be hard to distinguish one from another. To give a definition of both routines and rituals better describes what the differences between the two are. Routines are familiar habits or patterns which families use to manage their daily lives. Routines become a helping hand for parents and a way to organize the family home life. Making chore schedules, meal times, and bedtime are a few examples of family routines. Rituals on the other hand are traditions families inherit from their earlier families of origin or that are created in the home. Many times family rituals are passed down from generation to generation and somewhat transform to fit the dynamic of that specific family. Some examples of family rituals can include how holidays and birthdays are celebrated, Sunday dinners, or maybe vacations. Staging Staging is an interesting concept in family rituals. According to the text, rituals are different from routines in that they tend to involve more emotion, symbolism, and stylized or staged behavior; and they have three stages of preparing, experiencing, and shifting back into the ordinary. Preparing for a family ritual is important because it gets the family ready to participate in the event. For example, my family Thanksgiving is a pretty big deal, which is probably likely for most American families. We plan about a month in advance in order to have our extended family there. Emails and phone calls are made to determine who will be making what, and how much we will need, as well as setting a place to have our enormous feast. Food assignments are made. Each person in my family is “encouraged” aka required to make a contribution. I usually make potato casserole, my sister makes pies, and my

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