An anthropologist explains why we love holiday rituals and traditions

Collaborating on a project once a year makes it feel festive and special.Flotsam/Shutterstock)

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The thought of holiday traditions puts a smile on most people's faces and triggers sweet anticipation and nostalgia. We can almost smell the candles, savor those special meals, and hear those familiar songs in our heads.

Rituals mark some of the most important moments in our lives, from personal milestones such as birthdays and weddings to seasonal celebrations such as Thanksgiving and religious holidays such as Christmas or Hanukkah. What's more, the more ornate the moment, the more ornate the ritual.

Holiday rituals are full of sensory splendor. These (often quite literal) bells and whistles signal to all of our senses that this is not an ordinary occasion, but one that is full of meaning and significance. This sensory richness helps create lasting memories of those occasions and marks them in our memories as special events to be cherished.

Indeed, there are many reasons to value family rituals. Research has shown that they can provide a wide variety of psychological benefits, helping us to enjoy life, connect with loved ones, and take a break from everyday life. Having a special time of year when we know what to do, the way we always have, provides a comfortable sense of structure, control and stability.

From reciting blessings to raising a toast, holiday traditions are full of ritual. Laboratory experiments and field studies have shown that the structure and repetitive movements contained in such rituals can act as a buffer, making our world more predictable. But during the holiday season, they become more meaningful. They are confined to a special place (the family home) and a special group of people (our closest relatives and friends). For this reason, more people travel during the end-of-year holidays than at any other time of the year. Gathering together from far-flung places helps people leave their worries behind while putting them back in touch with time-honored family traditions.

Happy Meals

No holiday tradition is complete without a holiday meal. Cooking has been a hallmark of our species since man first gathered around a fire to roast his prey.

Spending long hours in kitchens and dining rooms while preparing and enjoying a holiday meal serves the same social function as the hearths of our early ancestors. Sharing a ceremonial meal symbolizes community, bringing the whole family together and paving the way for conversation and connection.

All cultures have rituals around food and meal preparation. Jewish tradition dictates that all food must be selected and prepared according to specific rules (kosher). In parts of the Middle East and India, meals can only be eaten with the right hand. And in many European countries, to avoid seven years of bad sexual behavior, toasts must be made with eyes tightly closed.

Of course, special occasions call for special meals. For this reason, most cultures reserve their best and most elaborate dishes for the most important holidays. In Mauritius, for example, Tamil Hindus serve a colorful "seven curries" at the end of Saptham Kavadi, and in Greece, family gatherings roast a whole lamb at Easter. These recipes often include some secret ingredient - not just culinary, but psychological.

Studies have shown that performing a ritual before a meal can improve the eating experience and make food (even just plain old carrots!) look better. look more delicious. Other studies have found that kids enjoy food more when they are involved in its preparation, and the more time we spend preparing food, the more we appreciate it. In this way, the labor and fanfare associated with the holiday meal practically guarantees an enhanced food experience.

Sharing is caring

It's common to exchange gifts during the holiday season. From a rational perspective, it seems pointless, recycling resources at best and wasting them at worst. But don't underestimate the importance of these exchanges. Anthropologists have noted that in many societies, ritualized gift-giving plays a crucial role in maintaining social relationships by creating a network of reciprocal relationships.

Today, many families give each other lists of holiday gifts. The system is remarkable precisely because most people end up getting what they would have bought anyway - the money is recycled, but everyone still enjoys the satisfaction of giving and receiving gifts.

, and because it's such a special time of year, we can even allow ourselves some guilt-free indulgences. Last year, my wife and I saw a fancy coffee maker that we really liked, but we thought it was too expensive. But last December, we went back and bought one as a **** same gift, agreeing that it's OK to splurge a little during the holidays.

This stuff families are made of

The most important function of holiday rituals is their role in maintaining and strengthening family relationships. In fact, for relatives who live far apart, holiday rituals may be the glue that holds families together.

Rituals are powerful markers of identity and group membership. Some of my own field research has found that participation in group rituals creates a sense of belonging and increases generosity toward other members of the group. It's not surprising, then, that the first and in-laws*** vacation period is often seen as a rite of passage, a symbol of true family membership.

Holiday traditions are especially important for children. Studies have shown that children who participate in group rituals have closer relationships with their peers. In addition, having more positive memories of family rituals seems to be associated with positive interactions with their own children.

Holiday rituals are the perfect recipe for family togetherness. Sure, you might have to take three flights to get there, and you'll almost certainly be late. Your uncle will surely get drunk and start another political debate with your son-in-law. But according to Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman, it's unlikely to ruin the overall experience.

Kahneman's research shows that when we evaluate past experiences, we tend to remember the best moments and the last moments, paying little attention to anything else. This is known as the "peak and tail rule".

In other words, our memories of a family holiday will consist mostly of all the rituals (happy and silly), the good food, the gifts, and then hugging everyone goodbye late at night (after your uncle and his son-in-law made up). By the time you get home, you'll have something to look forward to next year.

Dimitris Xygalatas, assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Connecticut

This post was originally published in Conversations. Read the original article. Follow all the expert voice issues and debates on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ and be part of the discussion. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published on Live Science