Personal rituals


Off-Topic Discussions

1 to 50 of 162 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | next > last >>

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Do you have any rituals or practices that are uniquely yours? Things that aren't family, religion, or culture based which you do in a particular circumstance?

I'll give an example of my own: every year when I see the first snow where I'm at, I play, whistle, hum, or sing this tune. Long ago I played the game it was from beside a window while it was snowing, and I have kept the association ever since.

What unique rituals do you have?


If for some reason I find myself going back to my alma mater, I always listen to, if not sing, "Back to Avalon" by Heart. I remember that as the first song that queued up on mp3 player on my first day going back to college after being away for a decade.


8 people marked this as a favorite.

I tell my wife "I love you" every morning when she wakes up, and every night before we go to bed, I've been doing that the entire time we've lived together, which is over 16 years now.


Scythia wrote:
I'll give an example of my own: every year when I see the first snow where I'm at, I play, whistle, hum, or sing this tune. Long ago I played the game it was from beside a window while it was snowing, and I have kept the association ever since.

I love that game.

The only thing I can really think I've ritualized is my "getting ready to leave self-check". The order is always the same - wallet, phone, keys, sunglasses, MP3 player, lunch bag (where my meds are kept). Only after I've done that do I usually leave wherever I'm at and head for the car. Any time I think I've forgotten something, I repeat the process.


5 people marked this as a favorite.

I have a lot of little obsessive compulsive quirks, but I'm not sure they count.

Hmmm... ok. When I'm driving and I'm right next to, or make a turn under an overpass/flyover, I make the sound of a Tie Fighter banking/maneuvering. Most of the time, I'm not even aware of it... which makes it really weird if I've got a passenger in the car and I interrupt the conversation to make the sound effect.


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Ambrosia Slaad wrote:

I have a lot of little obsessive compulsive quirks, but I'm not sure they count.

Hmmm... ok. When I'm driving and I'm right next to, or make a turn under an overpass/flyover, I make the sound of a Tie Fighter banking/maneuvering. Most of the time, I'm not even aware of it... which makes it really weird if I've got a passenger in the car and I interrupt the conversation to make the sound effect.

I would make the firing-my-y-wing-ion-cannons sound in response


1 person marked this as a favorite.

I apologize to roadkill on the side of the road.


Turin the Mad wrote:
I apologize to roadkill on the side of the road.

I do that as well, but only if it's a cat.


I ALWAYS put my left shoe on first. It throws my day off and makes it feel wrong when I don't...

Wallet is always left front pants pocket, keys and pocket knife in the right front pocket.

I look twice before changing lanes, every time.

There shall be two cups of coffee, no more, no less, before my morning shower.

When I roll my dice, they must be rolled, not dropped, and only the right hand shall roll them.

When I GM, only three sets of my dice are used, all others have betrayed me.


Scythia wrote:
Turin the Mad wrote:
I apologize to roadkill on the side of the road.
I do that as well, but only if it's a cat.

Funny enough, I'm the opposite. I only react to the roadkill if it's clearly a dog.

Granted a lot of the time that's because it's hard to tell a dead cat from a dead racoon or possum, especially if you're going fast or it's dim or dark out.


Orthos wrote:
Scythia wrote:
Turin the Mad wrote:
I apologize to roadkill on the side of the road.
I do that as well, but only if it's a cat.

Funny enough, I'm the opposite. I only react to the roadkill if it's clearly a dog.

Granted a lot of the time that's because it's hard to tell a dead cat from a dead racoon or possum, especially if you're going fast or it's dim or dark out.

Sometimes the remains are in such bad shape that there's no way to tell for sure. What hits hardest are the poor critters that are readily identifiable, especially the kittens and puppies...

Still, on GP, I do this regardless.


4 people marked this as a favorite.

I've trained myself to be obsessive about patting my pocket for my keys whenever I step outside, and before closing a car door. This habit has saved me quite a bit of inconvenience.

Grand Lodge

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Pathfinder Accessories, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Huh. Can't think of anything that I do ritualistically. Does gaming count?

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Whenever I or my wife say anything about having or needing a plan for something, the other of us will reply "Gentlemen, we have a plan: my seating plan!"

It's a reference to the movie Tenth Kingdom, which nobody's ever heard of but us, so I have to bite my tongue whenever the trigger pops up around other people. Sometimes we'll still make eye contact across the room and mouth the words, just hoping nobody sees us and thinks we're too weird. :)

Scarab Sages

4 people marked this as a favorite.
Freehold DM wrote:
Ambrosia Slaad wrote:

I have a lot of little obsessive compulsive quirks, but I'm not sure they count.

Hmmm... ok. When I'm driving and I'm right next to, or make a turn under an overpass/flyover, I make the sound of a Tie Fighter banking/maneuvering. Most of the time, I'm not even aware of it... which makes it really weird if I've got a passenger in the car and I interrupt the conversation to make the sound effect.

I would make the firing-my-y-wing-ion-cannons sound in response

If I'm driving in a section of road with walls right next to the lanes, or if I'm between two semis, or any other trench run situation I'll occasionally say "Stay on Target!" out loud.


Jiggy wrote:

Whenever I or my wife say anything about having or needing a plan for something, the other of us will reply "Gentlemen, we have a plan: my seating plan!"

It's a reference to the movie Tenth Kingdom, which nobody's ever heard of but us, so I have to bite my tongue whenever the trigger pops up around other people. Sometimes we'll still make eye contact across the room and mouth the words, just hoping nobody sees us and thinks we're too weird. :)

I've heard of it. I saw it in fact.

I do not, however, remember it. :P


Scythia wrote:
Turin the Mad wrote:
I apologize to roadkill on the side of the road.
I do that as well, but only if it's a cat.

I mourn all dead animals I see, say they are with the ancestors now, and move on.


Imbicatus wrote:
Freehold DM wrote:
Ambrosia Slaad wrote:

I have a lot of little obsessive compulsive quirks, but I'm not sure they count.

Hmmm... ok. When I'm driving and I'm right next to, or make a turn under an overpass/flyover, I make the sound of a Tie Fighter banking/maneuvering. Most of the time, I'm not even aware of it... which makes it really weird if I've got a passenger in the car and I interrupt the conversation to make the sound effect.

I would make the firing-my-y-wing-ion-cannons sound in response
If I'm driving in a section of road with walls right next to the lanes, or if I'm between two semis, or any other trench run situation I'll occasionally say "Stay on Target!" out loud.

Imbicatus, we're too close!


1 person marked this as a favorite.

I salute every ghost bike I see, for that could easily be myself one day.


It's okay, I know some maneuvers.


I always say "aye, aye captain" and throw a token salute (when on my own in the car) at magpies, if i'm not on my own I still mouth the words! I forgot the supposed correct reply (from the rhyme) long ago, but I still stick with this bit. And as a roll on from the zombie movie '28 days later', whenever I am waiting at a bus stop I rethink my zombie escape plan. (It came out when I was at Uni and I did that a lot then, now I mostly drive so it is rare)


I brush me teeth. I've added flossing and waterpic and mouthwash to the ritual. It's fun. Floss/brush spit but don't rinse. I pregame by drinking water so I won't want to close afterwards. Later I'll waterpic with warm water, then rinse with mouthwash. I read that it isn't good to mix toothpaste n mouthwash, so they're kept at a time difference.

Silver Crusade

3 people marked this as a favorite.

When I come to a roundabout while driving, I always do a lap and say, "look kids— Big Ben, Parliament," before turning toward my destination.

Where I used to live, I'd have to go through a particular roundabout at least twice a week. I currently have fewer occasions to perform this ritual.


I do the hand talks thing to entertain the kids, except it's really clumsy and hits the ceiling of the car occasionally (and then yells "Ow! My eye!").

I've broken two fingers that way.

Scarab Sages

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Kir'Eshe wrote:

I brush me teeth.

I wouldn't normally count personal hygiene, but this is a gamer board. :P


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Imbicatus wrote:
Kir'Eshe wrote:

I brush me teeth.

I wouldn't normally count personal hygiene, but this is a gamer board. :P

Understandable that personal hygiene wouldn't count. It is more of a habit than a ritual.

Here's a ritual (I think anyhow), I enjoy listening to era specific music when visiting past stomping grounds. I often either have an album or mixed tape that I used to listen to when I lived in different towns, and when I go back, I try and bring them out and listen to them.

Liberty's Edge RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16

I always bang the hot bag of popcorn against the side of the microwave before I open it.


2 people marked this as a favorite.

I really prefer to avoid a thermonuclear explosion in my kitchen. The microwave oven gets stopped at 00:01 if possible.


I like to transition from one year to another doing something anime related. Usually watching an episode of a series, reading a manga, or listening to a song if I can't do the one of the others. It happened 2 years consecutively and when I realized I was doing it on the third I decided to make it my personal new year's tradition.

Also, every December 7th I like to go out and get Japanese food. Years ago everything just froze and we had no power. So my Dad and Step-mom decided to see a movie and get dinner afterwards. Well we went to our favorite Japanese restaurant. The kind of place where they know your name. Well, we ordered our food and then we started eating. Once we were a few bites in I asked my Dad if he realized what day it was. It took him a second and we all laughed. So I kept doing every year.


I watch Mobile Suit Gundam movie every Christmas and start watching the rest of UC Gundam afterwards in the new year.


Sissyl wrote:
I really prefer to avoid a thermonuclear explosion in my kitchen. The microwave oven gets stopped at 00:01 if possible.

I usually stop mine at :16. 4 and 8 are numbers that I like, and 16 is the perfect combination of them. (Four times itself, eight plus itself, 44 seconds away from a full minute)


I tend to try to cook things in the microwave at double, triple, or mirrored numbers. If the thing says cook for a minute, I'll cook for 1:01 or 0:66. Etc.


2 people marked this as a favorite.

I apologize any creature I see dead along the road (and here I thought I was the only person that did that, and yeah, kittens and puppies are hard on my soul when that happens)

Each year, usually around new years, I watch all of Fire Fly again, and also re-watch the first three LotR's movies.

And finally, whenever playing any TTRPG, if faced with "which way should we go" I always go left.


Yeah as far as microwave times go I have to put in times that factor numerologically to 6, I have no idea why... I just do.


I don't have any control over it, so I'm not sure it counts as a ritual, but I almost always sneeze in odd-number increments (typically 3s).


I always listen to "La donna è mobile" when I shave.

Grand Lodge

1 person marked this as a favorite.

I have an admittedly odd "ritual".

Whenever someone close to me passes away, upon hearing the news, I will listen to Elton John's "Funeral for a Friend".


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Digitalelf wrote:

I have an admittedly odd "ritual".

Whenever someone close to me passes away, Upon hearing the news, I will listen to Elton John's "Funeral for a Friend".

That makes sense.

Better than "Bennie and the Jets".


Another ritual: I used to read the Lord of the Rings every Christmas. Now I watch the extended cut of the movies instead.

Grand Lodge

Scythia wrote:
Better than "Bennie and the Jets".

Oh yeah, there are a lot of songs that would be "inappropriate" at best.


Scythia wrote:
Sissyl wrote:
I really prefer to avoid a thermonuclear explosion in my kitchen. The microwave oven gets stopped at 00:01 if possible.
I usually stop mine at :16. 4 and 8 are numbers that I like, and 16 is the perfect combination of them. (Four times itself, eight plus itself, 44 seconds away from a full minute)

I used to always stop mine at 00:00, but before it "dinged" off. For whatever reason, you could do that, if your timing was good.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

when moving roadkill, stop and take a second to reflect upon the meaning and brevity of life, and the sadness of a death that is eternal so that you're not just moving a piece of garbage you're moving the shattered remnants of a miracle.


Rituals and not habits:

Closest thing I can think of is I always dry myself off in exactly the same way.

And possibly the morning ritual of stumbling out of bed practically asleep and lurching around the place like a zombie until I'm mostly awake about half an hour later.


I never put a full tank of gas in the car.

I have my reasons.


2 people marked this as a favorite.
captain yesterday wrote:

I never put a full tank of gas in the car.

I have my reasons.

You also change your avatar pic frequently.


The wife and I alternate watching Labyrinth and Groundhog Day on our anniversary. Seeing Labyrinth was our first date, and we got married on Feb 2nd (halfway between our birthdays).
1776 for 4th of July.


Scythia wrote:
captain yesterday wrote:

I never put a full tank of gas in the car.

I have my reasons.

You also change your avatar pic frequently.

I get bored easily.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
captain yesterday wrote:
Scythia wrote:
captain yesterday wrote:

I never put a full tank of gas in the car.

I have my reasons.

You also change your avatar pic frequently.
I get bored easily.

That explains the petrol issue then, a fill-up takes too long. :P


No, they are unrelated.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

If I am reheating leftover meals in the microwave, its for 2:22, invariably.

When I lock my car, I have to hear the beep twice.

I will NOT use other people's dice when gaming. Ever. I've even run out at the beginning of a session at somebody's house to either go get my dice, if where they are is close enough, or gone and bought a set.

I always have superhero t-shirt on under my work clothes. You never know when you're going to get the call.

Also, when I lock the house when I leave, I have to say to myself "I'm locking the house" otherwise, by the time I get to the car, I'm unsure that I did it, and I have to go back and check. To date, the house has always been locked.

1 to 50 of 162 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | next > last >>
Community / Forums / Gamer Life / Off-Topic Discussions / Personal rituals All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.