Role of Rituals and Ceremonies in a Modern Secular Society

Scrolling through my social media feeds, we are all inundated with wedding proposals, engagement rings, bachelorette parties. The Ambani’s 600M wedding with performances from Rihanna and Justin Bieber has taken over TikTok.

The over-the-top nature of these weddings and their heavy presence on social media platforms has had me thinking if these ceremonies were always this over-the-top and public? It seems our lives are increasingly lived online, with major life events serving not just as personal milestones, but as content for a global audience. There has been a huge rise in the past year with documenting each step of the wedding process. This trend speaks to our desire for validation, our need to mark significant life transitions, and perhaps, a way to create a sense of stability in an ephemeral digital world (especially with the immense costs of these things.)

This obsession with wedding content online speaks to something deeper than just our collective love for love. It highlights a fascinating paradox in our modern, secular society: even as traditional religious observances wane, our hunger for ritual and ceremony persists. But why? Rituals, at their core, serve as anchors in a very uncertain human experience. They provide structure, meaning, and a sense of continuity in our lives. In past eras, these needs were largely met through religious practices. Today, in a world where science and technology often take center stage, we find ourselves creating new rituals or repurposing old ones to fill the void.

Even our digital lives are filled with micro-rituals. The act of posting daily on social media, participating in viral challenges, or religiously checking one's step count can be seen as modern, secular rituals. These practices offer a sense of routine, connection, and accomplishment in an increasingly fragmented world.

But perhaps the most interesting development is how we're reimagining traditional ceremonies for the secular age. Weddings, for instance, have evolved from primarily religious affairs to highly personalized celebrations that reflect the couple's unique story along with insane partying. Similarly with coming of age parties: Sweet Sixteens, 18ths, 21st birthdays, bar mitzvahs.

These secular ceremonies serve many of the same psychological and social functions as their religious counterparts. They mark important life transitions, strengthen community bonds, and provide a space for collective emotional expression. In a world where traditional sources of meaning are often questioned, these rituals offer a way to create and affirm shared values.

However, this DIY approach to ritual also presents challenges. Without the weight of tradition and institutional backing, secular rituals can sometimes feel hollow or contrived. There's a fine line between meaningful ceremony and empty performance, especially in the age of TikTok bachelorettes and Instagram weddings.

As we navigate this new landscape of secular ceremony, perhaps the key lies in striking a balance. We can embrace the freedom to create rituals that truly resonate with our values and experiences, while also recognizing the power of shared traditions that connect us to something larger than ourselves.

I'm like the idea of more intimate, personalized rituals that mark the subtle yet significant transitions in me and my friends own lives: relationships, personal milestones, seasons, or just weekly appreciation of the people around you. These personalized rituals could infuse more secular lives with deeper meaning and connection, allowing us to craft our own traditions that resonate with our values and experiences.