Why Some Rituals Lose Their Power
A few years ago, a global pandemic disrupted almost every tradition we had.
Weddings became livestreams.
Graduations happened in cars.
Religious gatherings moved online.
Despite the changes, people still clung to ritual.
Why?
Because ritual holds meaning.
It connects us to the past and gives us hope for the future.
When a ritual no longer fits a community, it needs to change.
And the change must preserve the meaning that made it matter in the first place.
Why Rituals Cannot Stay the Same Forever
Rituals do not create themselves.
Someone, somewhere, made a choice.
They saw an opportunity.
They marked a moment.
They began a tradition.
As the community changes, rituals must change too.
Keeping them the same when members evolve sends the wrong message.
It says the past matters more than the people here now.
Communities that ignore this message become stuck.
They lose connection, and rituals feel lifeless
The Risk of Empty Tradition
I once spoke to a school leader who inherited a senior tradition.
Each year, seniors would charge through a formal school event in swimwear.
It once seemed playful.
Now it grew distracting and obnoxious.
There was no purpose, only performance.
The new school head decided to change it.
Not to erase the seniors' moment.
Instead, to create room for something meaningful and powerful.
They designed a new event where students could celebrate seniorhood in a way that added value to the school and still honored their transition.
That decision required courage.
It also showed wisdom: meaning matters more than superficial appearance.
Don’t Confuse “Silly” with Unimportant
Many often assume a ritual has little value because it looks odd from the outside.
A woman once told me about receiving a big yellow ribbon from an alumna when she was a schoolgirl.
She called the ritual silly.
I saw something sacred.
That ribbon marked a moment of growth.
It connected a young student with a long-standing community.
It gave her a moment to see that others recognized that she belonged, and others noticed.
When she dismissed it, she also dismissed the message it shared.
Rituals like this do not need complexity.
They need meaning.
Rituals That Look Strange Still Carry Deep Meaning
Think of professional sports.
When a team retires a jersey, they hang it high for all to see.
To outsiders, it looks like laundry on display.
To fans, it is a tribute.
It honors effort, excellence, and legacy.
We should not judge a ritual by how it looks.
We must ask what it communicates.
Does it tell a story of connection, growth, or transformation?
If yes, the ritual is almost certainly working.
What Leaders Must Consider When Shaping Rituals
Leaders often make two common mistakes with rituals:
They keep them the same out of fear.
They throw them away too quickly when they look outdated.
Here is what leaders must do instead:
Ask what the ritual means to participants
Reflect on who the ritual serves now
Consider how to keep the message, even if the form changes
Understand that honoring the past can also include welcoming the future
Ritual is not about simply repeating old actions.
It can make material experiences that reinforce shared values in ways that make sense today.
Final Thoughts
Rituals are tools for connection.
They carry us across generations.
They tell us who we are and what we care about.
If a ritual no longer connects, it needs attention.
If a ritual still carries meaning, it needs protection even when it seems odd.
Ask yourself:
Which rituals in my life still matter?
Which ones need to evolve?
Am I brave enough to protect meaning, even if the form must change?
Your answers will shape the next chapter of your community’s story.
Get free resources on building the community you long for at www.charlesvogl.com
Order the 2nd Edition with 25% new content
