People turn to rituals in the face of loss no matter if it’s the death of a loved one, a bad breakup, or loss of job.
Michael I. Norton, a behavioral scientist became interested in mourning rituals after reading “This Republic of Suffering” from Harvard University President Drew Gilpin Faust.
The book describes the different ways that parents, children, spouses, and friends dealt with the enormous loss of soldiers during the American Civil War. Norton was curious whether rituals were just a traditional part of the process of grieving or they could alleviate grief.
To know why rituals seem to work during the process of grief click here.