Answer from Prof. Philipp Yorck Herzberg, Professor of Personality Psychology and Psychological Diagnostics at Helmut Schmidt University/ University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg: Many people associate the typical rituals, scents, and impressions of the Christmas season with positive experiences from their childhood. They learned early on that these things are linked to good feelings. Perhaps baking with their grandparents used to smell of cloves and vanilla. Or the whole family sang together. Childhood memories are stored unconsciously and are very well wired in the brain. When we find ourselves in a situation similar to that of the past, the same areas of the brain are reactivated. This causes the body to release more of the happiness Hormone serotonin.

Rituals for the cold season have been established for a long time, when winters were even harsher and colder for people than they are today and there was little to eat. They helped people get through this time and thus became part of our cultural heritage. Religious institutions further entrenched these rituals. Even today, these rituals are still seen as positive and desirable by society – and we follow their lead. However, some people may find Advent traditions unpleasant for this very reason, perhaps because they have a different outlook on life.

Many Advent rituals thrive on togetherness. People have a need to belong. This need is satisfied when we do things together with people who, in the best case scenario, share similar views to our own. Rituals strengthen the community for several reasons: they are familiar, everyone knows how they work and can automatically join in. The results of my research with couples also show how strongly rituals bind people together. Couples who establish positive shared rituals in their relationship are happier couples. And it is not without reason that rituals also exist in the Mafia and similar organizations: they create and deepen the feeling of togetherness.

Some rituals also have a direct physical effect. Singing, for example, makes us breathe more deeply and activates certain nerves in the face. We usually stand upright and expand our chest. Add to this the lyrics of Christmas carols, which are mostly characterized by a sense of optimism, and we are moved emotionally.

Rituals therefore usually have a positive effect on our mood. However, there are also people who have not yet discovered Advent rituals or rituals in general and do not associate them as positively as other people. This may be because they hardly practiced any rituals in their childhood or because they even associate them with negative experiences.

From a personality psychology perspective, I can say that even these people can still learn to appreciate rituals as a resource into old age. Find your own. This could mean, for example, stepping out onto the balcony with your first cup of tea in the morning instead of looking at your cell phone. Find out what is good for you and what is not. In this way, you can use the Christmas season as a time of pause and contemplation, which is its traditional purpose. Those who discover Advent rituals for themselves in this way can experience stability and grounding.

Recorded by Natalie Steinmann

First published on November 21, 2021