Ritual Transformation During Times of Crisis: Extending and Reducing Disrupted Rituals

Modern ritual behavior is embedded in everyday life, and it shapes social exchanges by giving them meaning that is tightly connected to people’s selves. Rituals are crucial mechanisms for the (re)creation of a society in which individuals respect norms and traditions, and share experiences that maintain the emotional bonds among members of a community. This chapter explores how consumers transform (i.e., extend or reduce) celebratory rituals disrupted by social-distancing provisions during the COVID-19 public health crisis. Semi-structured, phenomenological interviews were conducted over the telephone, Skype, and Zoom with 16 purposefully selected informants who ranged in age, sex, country, and experience with the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings inform a conceptual framework of “transformed rituals” which are reduced or extended through components such as scripts, artifacts, performers, and audiences. Further, the paradox of ritual transformation is discussed: rituals are known to survive and thrive thanks to their fixed, repeatable components (e.g., artifacts, scripts), but for rituals to maintain their vitality during times of crises, consumers need to creatively adjust to new conditions and contexts.