When we sing the Happy Birthday song, what exactly are we doing?
We could ask the same of any other acts we regularly perform in the community.
What exactly is the deal with Friday Night Lights in Texas?
Well, if you ask me, they are both rituals.
And you might think, “Birdie, the football season as a ritual is rather a stretch.”
To my mind, after four years of being a band parent, I would point out to you that whenever a particular event occurs on the field, the band plays a specific song. And the cheerleaders cheer a particular cheer. The Pledge of Allegiance, a ritual in and of itself, is recited before each game. Then, the National Anthem is sung. Indeed, all this is in keeping with one of the definitions of ritual - an act or series of actions regularly repeated in a set precise manner.
Rituals are more often thought of in a religious context. Often with sacred objects, often at a time determined as important. Things involved in ritual often have symbolic meaning and are regarded as set aside for the Divine. Rituals often mark the passing of time.
Hardly anything like what you might see on the football field. Right?
Or perhaps much like what you might see on a football field.
From the essay entitled “Popular Culture and the Rituals of American Football” by Mark Axelrod of Chapman University, we learn that the purchase of a ticket can be symbolically understood as a rite of participation. We see the stadium as a sacred space. Cheerleaders and mascots can be viewed as symbols of abundance. The game itself can represent life vs. death, harmony over chaos, or even represent creation. I recommend reading the essay in full. It’s available online in multiple places for free. It is only eight pages long. I found it opened my eyes to the sacred in the mundane, seeing rituals simply everywhere, all the time. It also explained why, although my son graduated years ago, and I have no deep love for the game, I find myself with the impulse to attend games.
That is the thing about rituals. I really notice their absence. We all did, I think, during the pandemic.
So, what ARE we doing when we sing Happy Birthday, this annual ritual dedicated to each person and even organizations! Are we saying each one of us is sacred somehow?
I would say so because the function of spirituality and religions boils down to one thing – being in relationship with each other.
Think of the most held spiritual teaching present in all religions, “Do unto others as you would have done unto you.” It’s a useless teaching unless we are in some sort of relationship with somebody.
We can also look to what is known as the “Greatest Commandment” in Christianity from the Gospel of Mark. When Jesus is asked what the most important commandment is by his disciples, “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Birthdays, anniversaries, Thanksgiving, family reunions, graduations, saying “I love you” to your spouse before you leave for the day, even asking your loved one when they get home from a day at school or work, “How was your day?” What about shaking hands when meeting, a hug, or saying good morning? They are certainly not considered religious observances, but are they sacred rituals?
I would say so. I think how we act in relationships is how we demonstrate our spirituality. It’s how we know our daily lives as holy, how we are constantly expressing the Divine.
I thank you for reading, be blessed this day.
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