The distinction between a “ritual” and a “routine” can oftentimes be blurred, given that both types of action share the descriptive commonality of regularity. Does a ritual have to include traces of spirituality or elements of one’s own cultural lineage? Can the same action be a ritual one day, and a routine the next? It’s easy to put our noses up at what other people call their “personal rituals, ” particularly on social media where people seem to be seeking outward validation for what you might logically imagine to be their most private habits. But Karen’s mug of coffee with a splash of hazelnut creamer on the porch every Sunday could be a ritual just as much as Celeste’s daily three-card tarot pulls and monthly brew of herbal medicine, passed down to her This story is from Kinfolk Issue Thirty-Eight Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 39 Learn Lenience We were all young once. Arts & Culture Issue 39 Pay it Forward How to be a mentor. Arts & Culture Issue 39 Be Accountable On youth and responsibility. Arts & Culture Issue 39 Think Back A reexamination of nostalgia. Arts & Culture Issue 39 Grow Up In praise of aging. Arts & Culture Fashion Issue 38 Needle Work In Seoul, the ancient art of tattoo is thrown into sharp relief.
Arts & Culture Fashion Issue 38 Needle Work In Seoul, the ancient art of tattoo is thrown into sharp relief.