In teasing out the differences between ritual and habit, there is no distinct set of behaviors that belongs solely to rituals and another distinct set that belongs to habits. Instead, it’s the emotion and meaning we bring to the behaviors.

A ritual is not just the action but the particular way we enact it—the how. It matters to us not simply that we complete the action but the specific way that we complete it. Rituals are also deeply and inherently emotional. Unlike most habits, rituals provoke feelings, both good and bad.