Relationships between Family Rituals, Family Routines, and Health

Rituals and routines are widely discussed in the literature, but clear distinctions between them are seldom made. Rituals are most often described in terms of celebrations, traditions, religious observances, and symbolic events. Routines have been operationalized as behaviors closely linked with daily or regular activities pertinent to health. Family households are the primary places where families construct, deconstruct, and reconstruct rituals and routines. Support exists that links rituals and routines and health and illness. Both concepts involve multiple family members, are unique to family households, and seem to have a potential role in understandings about health potentials, illness risks, and chronic disease. Although some researchers have studied relationships between rituals or routines and health, nurses have completed few focused studies. The purpose of this literature review is to focus on therapeutic benefits of rituals and routines, stimulate conversation about their utility in nursing practice, and identify areas for research.