Making Space For Ceremony In Life

There are people who use nice dishes every night and light candles at the dinner table. There are people who celebrate all sorts of little things. I can't recall what prompted the discussion, but I was talking to my family about bring more ceremony into everyday life. You might think, "why?", but I think, "why not?".

I understand not romanticizing the past, but there was a lot more ceremony in previous centuries. I think it is our loss nowadays that we don't bring celebration and ceremony into more of our everyday lives.

I don't know quite how this would look, and it would look different for each family and individual, but what about using nice dishes for dinner and lighting candles? What about having special bedtime routines or morning routines? What about reading together?

Nothing has to be huge. But there is so much we could celebrate and even just pause and appreciate. This might sound vague and abstract, so let's consider some examples:

• set the table with nice dishes and light candles
• celebrate small accomplishments like when your kid learns to ride a bike, conquers a subject they were struggling with in school, mark anniversaries at work
• if you have a fireplace (indoor or outdoor), set aside times to make smores in the middle of the week
• turn chores into family time
• watch a sunset
• have a picnic (inside or out)
• invite friends over for dinner or games once in a while
• have a centerpiece or a vase of flowers that your kids can keep filled
  
• reading a book together
  
• doing devotions together
  
• making meals together
  
• snuggle
  
• dance around the house
  
• dress up a little sometimes for dinner
  

There are SO many options and it's not all about being fancy or putting a lot of effort into things. It's about making time for the people who matter and finding ways to make each day special, celebrate little moments, and relish the life you're living. One tangible example was when my dad had his 25th anniversary at work. That day, when he came home, my mom had a balloon for him and had set the table with a cloth, plates, cups, napkins, etc. She got it all at the Dollar Store! It wasn't fancy but it was festive and celebratory. We just had pizza for dinner but it was special and fun and different.

That clearly wasn't an exhaustive list so what things can you add? I'd love more ideas!!