The Benefits of Rituals

This review, published in 2018 in Personality and Social Psychology Review, provides a comprehensive psychological review of decades of empirical research on rituals.

The authors examined work from social psychology, cognitive science, anthropology, behavioral economics and neuroscience to develop a unified framework for understanding why rituals— from holiday traditions to personal routines—matter for human well-being.

They identify three core regulatory functions of rituals: managing emotions, supporting goal-oriented performance and strengthening social connection. Rituals achieve these effects through both their physical structure and the meaning people attach to them, helping reduce anxiety in uncertain situations, prepare the mind for challenging tasks and build a sense of belonging and shared purpose.

This framework is especially relevant in times of transition, such as New Year’s Eve, when people naturally engage in reflective and symbolic practices to mark the transition from one year to the next. Whether it’s journaling about milestones, gathering with loved ones, or creating intentional closing rituals, these findings indicate that such actions can help regulate emotions about the past year, clarify intentions for the year ahead, and reinforce social bonds. This review highlights how simple, meaningful traditions can support emotional balance, motivation and connection.