Book excerpt: FAMILIES PERFORM RITUALS each day without knowing it. Celebrating birthdays, eating a meal together, taking daily walks to the park, making French toast on Sunday mornings, donating to the homeless during the holidays; all are examples of the rituals families use to become closer and strengthen their bond. The Joy of Family Rituals is a recipe book for families who wish to enrich their lives with rituals by reflecting on their significance and making them a part of daily life. Rituals can help a family communicate, foster spiritual connections, and provide a secure foundation for growth. The Joy of Family Rituals makes it easy to incorporate rituals into family life. Barbara Biziou explains the meaning and history of each ritual, many of which date back to our ancestors, and gives advice on purpose, timing, ingredients and follow-up. Biziou encourages readers to adjust the rituals and introduce their own traditions to suit the family's needs. Finally, each ritual contains a true-life story of how it has affected a family, providing a template for ways in which your family's life might also be enriched and strengthened. "Consciously creating rituals can work miracles in our lives. The Joy of Ritual tells you exactly how to get started."-Christiane Northrup, M.D., author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom "The Joy of Ritual is a road map to celebrating life. This book will be a great companion on your journey to attaining clarity, balance, and calmness amid the chaos of life."-Donna Karan BARBARA BIZIOU is an internationally acclaimed teacher of practical spirituality and global rituals. She is a life coach, voice dialogue facilitator, interfaith minister, and motivational speaker. She has lectured and taught around the world. She currently resides in New York managing her company, Blue Lotus Productions.