Rituals

Solomon defines a ritual as a set of multiple, symbolic behaviors that occur in a fixed sequence and that tend to be repeated periodically.  Learning about this idea in Consumer Behavior has made me really pay attention and recognize the rituals that my family has.  I am sure there are multiple practices that my family has that could be defined as a ritual that I don't even pick up on.  Over the last week, while being reunited with loved ones I cued in on some simple rituals, but behaviors that make my family truely how they are.
Ever since becoming of age to drink alcohol, my sister, father and I have made it a ritual that everytime we are gathered together after being apart for sometime, no matter where we are, we find a dive bar.  Keno machines are usually played, cocktails are drank, fond memories are shared, cathching up takes place, and most importantly endless giggles are shared between us. This time could be a short hour, or what turns into closing the dive bar down, but either way it is a ritual that is very near and dear to my heart.  I hope no matter where we all end up, the differences we may have, or the limited times we have, that this ritual never changes.