Monthly Archives: August 2016

Last week I wrote that ceremony, at base, allows us to acknowledge our movement through life and to mark the significant moments we experience. Ceremony, then, needs to available to everyone as we move through the natural lifecycle experiencing birth, death and all the significant milestones in between.

There are well established traditions around what I refer to as “the big three” ceremonies, meaning birth, marriage and death which are the milestone moments most universally celebrated with ceremony. I maintain, however, that there are benefits to be gained from recognizing other significant moments in life. A perfect example at this time of year is empty nest. The moment when your child leaves home can have a profound effect on you as a parent or as a couple. The focus of your life changes, and your relationship with your child changes. This is a moment when ceremony can be particularly helpful. You may choose to have a personal ceremony for yourself alone, or for you and your spouse to mark this moment in life when you release some of your daily parenting responsibilities and renew your commitment to and focus on each other. You may include rituals, music, and reflection in a ceremony of this kind.

Personal ceremonies are appropriate for some of the most personal moments of transition in your life, like empty nest, or a private achievement. But sometimes it is helpful to draw a small circle of supportive people around you to recognize significant moments. Examples here can be support ceremonies in times of illness, divorce ceremonies, crossroads ceremonies following a job layoff, or a house leaving ceremony as you downsize or move following a death or divorce.

These intimate ceremonies can be incredibly helpful as you deal with some of the challenging moments in life. They provide the opportunity to put the experience in perspective, to focus on the feelings you are experiencing, to draw loving support from caring people, to release negative feelings, and to be able to move forward and focus on the future and the opportunities that can be found in the situation.

Every person experiences both positive and difficult moments in their life, and ceremony is a tool that can help you celebrate, cope, find strength and support as needed. In American society, however, we are experiencing a bit of a disconnect regarding ceremony. Religious institutions have become the primary source of ceremonies, but people are moving away from organized religion in increasing numbers. Ceremony is not tied to any religion – it is a human response to our life experience. Ceremony is for everyone who sees the potential value in reflection, celebration, support, and community as you walk through life. Increasingly, there are celebrants who can help you develop a ceremony to honor this moment in your life in a way that is authentic and meaningful for you, so search us out, and allow us to support you in your journey.

We’ve all been to a wedding and a funeral, but what really defines a ceremony? What differentiates a ceremony from a party? Ceremony is a thoughtful, usually planned, experience intended to mark a significant moment or experience in life. If can be a standalone experience or can be part of a larger experience. A wedding ceremony is usually followed by a reception. A funeral is usually followed by a shared meal or gathering at someone’s home.

Ceremony has been part of the human experience virtually forever. Native tribes celebrated a successful hunt along with the major human milestones of birth and death with ceremony. Many cultures developed ceremonies around coming of age: the Jewish bar and bat mitzvah and Hispanic quinceneara ceremonies are examples that still exist today. And every culture has developed ceremony around marriage as a key milestone moment in life and a key characteristic of a successful society.

Each of these ceremonies is different, of course, but they share some things in common. Music and rituals are the cornerstones of most ceremonies. Wise words, in the form of poetry, passages from holy books, or orations by elders of the community are also common. Fancy dress and special roles for selected members of the community may be a part of ceremony, too.

These days ceremonies take on many different forms, but at base they allow us to acknowledge our movement through life and to mark the significant moments we experience. So now that we understand what ceremony is, we can look at who benefits from ceremony in next week’s blog. Stay tuned…