Rituals

[TeeDee]

Traditions.

I realise I have a xmas tradition that is part of 'me' - I go out on xmas day and feed the wildlife.

I'm wondering if others have any specific/quirky/individual traditions or rituals for other days of the year?

Namely Birthdays - do you have a set 'thing' that is your tradition or ritual?

 

[Wander]

Yes, like you, I have a ritual where I go out on Christmas day.
Normally after dinner.
What I do is ask everyone if they would like to come along as well. I do that to seem friendly and sociable, but every ounce and fibre of my soul is hoping that no-one takes me up on the offer. It's my chance to get away, recharge my batteries, have a bit of solitary time before going back to the sound and fury of a family Christmas afternoon and all the boisterousness that will involve.
To date no-one has taken me up on that offer. Not sure if that's because they know I want that time on my own or just because they don't fancy it. Knowing my family, it could be either of those. The day someone says 'yes' I will whither inside.

On New Year's day I go out for an early, sunrise, walk. I make believe that it's just because I fancy getting out for a bit because I've been inside for the last few days on what is normally grubby weather that time of year. But in reality it's so I can watch the sunrise on a new year and reflect and enjoy watching it come up. Not sure why I haven't confessed my true motives. I suppose I like a bit of personal secrecy, I think that can be important. One doesn't need to share everything.

On a personal level, I make it a point to always make sure I personally say 'happy Christmas'/'Happy Birthday' etc to people because I never send cards. My personal feelings are that if you need a card to express your wishes then your probably don't really feel them yourself. That's my position, not suggesting everyone feels the same or should. So because of that I like to ensure I say it direct to them, ideally in person if I can, but a phone call if not (e.g. due to distance), as a sign that I genuinely am wishing them well. It's important to me.

 

[punkrockcaveman]

I don't think I really do have any rituals as such to be honest. I'd like to get into some though- if you can call them rituals? Things like setting a batch of slow gin going, wild camping on the solstices, coastal foraging on the equinoxes.

Kind of natural time clock type of rituals? I make a great effort when it snows to find a golf course for tracking. Is that enough to class as a ritual?

 

[TeeDee]

I don't think I really do have any rituals as such to be honest. I'd like to get into some though- if you can call them rituals? Things like setting a batch of slow gin going, wild camping on the solstices, coastal foraging on the equinoxes.

Kind of natural time clock type of rituals? I make a great effort when it snows to find a golf course for tracking. Is that enough to class as a ritual?

Doesn't matter to me what you do! It should only matter to yourself.

If that's YOUR thing - that in itself is justification enough.

 

[Broch]

If the weather is good, I get up, climb the hill behind us, and watch the sun rise on the Summer Solstice; if the weather's bad (cloudy), I stay in bed

 

[Paul_B]

My birthday ritual is to try and avoid encountering death. I went through a spell where people that I knew, had contact with, related to or passed by as they died. I actually got nervous before my birthday because of it. Imagine how nervous i was when my partner was in labour around my birthday!

Seriously rituals no, but habits yes. Biggest is that keys must be put in one place. I lose it if keys left in coat pockets or other n places. As in car keys left I someone coat pocket gets me going ballistic! I know it's happening but I still get angry. My wallet goes to another place, phones somewhere else and a few other things. Started as a means not to lose them but morphed into something more important. I think it's part of my disorder.

If I think about things I have many such habits. Certain things need to be just so, others I don't care about. Not ritual just habit and obsession.

 

[TeeDee]

My birthday ritual is to try and avoid encountering death. I went through a spell where people that I knew, had contact with, related to or passed by as they died. I actually got nervous before my birthday because of it. Imagine how nervous i was when my partner was in labour around my birthday!

Seriously rituals no, but habits yes. Biggest is that keys must be put in one place. I lose it if keys left in coat pockets or other n places. As in car keys left I someone coat pocket gets me going ballistic! I know it's happening but I still get angry. My wallet goes to another place, phones somewhere else and a few other things. Started as a means not to lose them but morphed into something more important. I think it's part of my disorder.

If I think about things I have many such habits. Certain things need to be just so, others I don't care about. Not ritual just habit and obsession.

Yep. You should probably best keep an eye on that.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

My birthday ritual is to try and avoid encountering death.

Indeed. Scientific research does show that the more birthdays you have, the longer you live.

 

[Scottieoutdoors]

Used to have an order to everything before rugby games I played, not sure I'd thought of it as a ritual, but it was a process that I tried to keep standard (minus the few occasions I realised I'd forgotten something and had to drive like a lunatic back home to get it....which perhaps was probably why I had that structure in the first instancs), but haven't played in years so not so much anymore.

I typically lead rather an unstructured life, so routines, rituals and the sort tend not to fit in, even if I wanted them too...

 

[FerlasDave]

More and more I find myself adopting the traditional view of Sunday’s (the lords day) being a day of rest. Not meaning that I don’t do anything, but I mostly abstain from using power tools and making myself too busy with plans.