Think of a particular holiday or ritual that is important to you, such as Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, a birthday, a wedding anniversary, a graduation, a family reunion, and/or an ethnic tradition. Use your journal to reflect on the following: 

1. Select an event. 
2. List the elements which are associated with this event (e.g., gift-giving, a meal, storytelling, etc.). 
3. List the symbols in the event.
4. Reflect on the event: “The heart or essence of this event is. . .”  

Each of these ritual events or holidays has a particular meaning for each of us, but at their core, they have a common meaning which we have learned about over time by experiencing their pattern. We learned how birthdays were celebrated by celebrating birthdays. Likewise for Christmas and other rituals. Many of the actions and objects associated with these events have a specific meaning which we assume. We don’t ask why we use candles at a birthday. We just do. This is the nature of rituals – we seldom ask why because we’ve discovered the meaning of those actions by doing them. Rituals involve symbols and symbolic actions to name meaning.