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It's a Family Tradition Rituals create certainty in these uncertain times 
It's impossible to direct the way your local real estate market is heading and you may feel helpless as you watch the value of your retirement fund shrink. However, you still can get together with your family for Friday night board games or Wednesday night pizza, or join friends for Sunday night Scrabble. More than a cheap evening's entertainment, these activities may contribute to your wellbeing, according to Ann Mack, director of Trendspotting at JWT (J. Walter Thompson advertising agency) in New York City. "During periods of uncertainty or heightened anxiety we want some control. Rituals are a great way to exert control," Mack says. Rituals are important for you, your circle of friends and for your children, who are concerned about their own future. The rituals you share with your children will give them a sense of security. "The family gets together and shares some laughs. It's the glue that helps hold the family together," says Meg Cox, a writer in Princeton, N.J. You and your friends may discover the simple rituals you share are as much fun as more expensive indulgences, according to Cox and Mack. Don't make perfection your goal. Instead, find things that enjoyable and pleasurable to do says Cox, author of "The Book of New Family Traditions" (Running Press, 2003). Take an inventory before you create your ritual. Identify the values or lessons you'd like to pass along to your children. If you're developing your own ritual, decide what you'd like to achieve, whether it's to become calmer through morning yoga or engaged in your community by doing volunteer work. Here are some ideas for creating individual, family and group rituals. � Host a once-a-month soup night. Make a big pot of soup and invite friends to bring bread and wine and join you. � Have a music night if your family is musically inclined with everyone playing a favorite piece. � Start a knitting circle. Knit hats or scarves for the less fortunate in your community. If your friends don't knit, try a quilting bee instead. � Assign one night a week for board games with the family. "Take turns choosing the game, keeping the selection broad," Cox says. Include cake or ice cream as part of the fun and you're more likely to get reluctant children to get involved, Cox says. � Light a candle or sparkler (if legal in your state) whenever there's cause for celebration. You can cheer your child's grades, your weight loss or a birthday. � Take a once a week family walk. You may have to push children out the door the first few times, but once the walk becomes a habit, your children will enjoy spotting both new and familiar things along the way. Serve hot chocolate or cold lemonade, depending on the season, afterwards. � Invite a friend for a weekly walk. You may be able to share concerns you wouldn't otherwise discuss.
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Bev Bennett, a veteran food writer and editor, is the author of "Dinner for Two: A Cookbook for Couples" and "30-Minute Meals for Dummies"
