Fall rituals

Rituals frequently bring individuals together and often reduce anxiety and uncertainty. Whether we understand them well or not, they are important to individuals, families, communities, and societies. Dimitris Xygalatas, a cognitive scientist and anthropologist, notes in Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living, that our social institutions are permeated by ritual. At the SMHS, we can look to ceremonies such as the White Coat Ceremony, Commencement, and Homecoming as just a few examples of such rituals that give order to our weeks and months.

In our part of the world, we feel the seasons, the “rhythms of the earth,” quite robustly. Rituals of the fall are often tied to the autumn equinox, the harvest season and the changing daylight. Gathering of family and friends, recognizing both the living and dead are celebrated during Homecoming, the various Moon festivals, certain religious days (“All Saints,” etc.). There are also numerous Indigenous harvest celebrations, and around the world such times are observed with gratitude and thanks. (Personally, I think the Canadians landed on the right time of year, early October, for their official Thanksgiving holiday.)

Awareness of cultural rituals other than your own is an opportunity to reflect on such universalities of gathering and eating together, showing appreciation and remembrance, as well as preparing for the next season. This week, many in South Asia and beyond are celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights. For those of us in education, it’s an occasion to reflect on the symbolism of Diwali: shedding light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance.

Reminder, if you would like to share inspirational quotes, stories, or ideas which might be helpful to others, please feel free to email our colleague Dr. Melissa Naslund at melissa.naslund@UND.edu.