Popular rituals include characteristic activities or commonly-recognized events which are common in given societies (but not necessarily others) or procedures for which there are either explicit or implicit rules that "must be followed" if one is to be culturally correct.

Standard examples include weddings and funerals (though practice for these may differ widely within different ethnic or religious groups), church confirmation exercises, school graduation ceremonies, and the like. But popular rituals also include the following (among many other possible examples):

• Hospitality and home-visiting rules; flower-taking and coffee-drinking ceremonies in Finland vs. Dining Etiquette: European vs. American [YouTube]

• Types of popular dances (regional, age, period); dancing 'rules', (cf. the Finnish "tango culture" and Tango Finlandia (YouTube), or "daytime-dancing" in Finnish restaurants — who goes, who asks whom to dance and when, cf. Dance Pavilion Culture in Finland)

• National and ethnic holidays (e.g. in the U.S. St. Patricks's Day, St. Urho's Day (see also Flash Animation [YouTube] and 2009 Parade), the Festival of San Gennaro, Chinese New Year, Mardi Gras, etc.), seasonal customs and traditions (what types of behavior, weather assumptions [for example when comparing the U.S. and Finnish Independence Days], dress codes, levels of formality, types of food, etc. are associated with each?)

• Parades as a 'ritualized' form of public celebration (cf. 121st Rose Bowl Parade, 2010); exhibition 'floats', who participates, how they dress, etc.

• Differences in wedding ceremony procedure (including the "wedding walk," who speaks during the ceremony and when, when the 'transfer' from father of the bride to groom takes place, etc.) between the U.S. and Finland, and between different religions, ethnic groups, geographical regions, etc. within each country (cf. Salla Hakulinen's Here Comes the Bride)

• Church (religious) confirmation rituals (cf. the relatively standardized procedure in Finland vs diversity in the U.S. by church or religious group, for example the UCC Evangelical Catechism and 1959 photo)

• Funeral services, between the U.S. and Finland generally and as different via church, ethnic group, etc., within each country. What is the 'standard' procedure for each, open-casket vs closed, pallbearer practice, who speaks, who participates, where and how do things happen? Variation in the U.S. between 'standard' funeral practice, Irish wakes, New Orleans funeral parades, different Native American practices, etc.

• 'Shower' rituals: bridal showers, baby showers, etc.: who is invited, what do they bring, what happens, etc?

• Bachelor and bachelorette parties: what happens, who organizes and participates?

• Group "eating" events: church suppers, pot-luck suppers, office picnics, working ('power') breakfasts ...

• University graduation ceremonies (cf. Finnish doctoral ceremony, with the ritual dress, swords, dancing, etc). Secondary school graduation ceremonies, caps and gowns in the U.S., the 'student hat' in Finland, how ceremonies are structured, what music is associated with each, etc.

• General scheduling and use of time (cf. academic/professional conferences: no "wasted time" cf. "free association time")

• School class reunions, military unit reunions, etc.

• Dating practices, how singles meet; what dating or courting conventions the couple is 'expected' to follow
  • High school 'coupling' rituals: girl gets the boy's "letter sweater" or "letter jacket," and/or class ring (worn on finger or around neck)

  • High school dating: meeting the girl's parents, dating times and acceptable events, double-dating, parent-supervised home parties ....

  • College: fraternity "lavaliere" (necklace), "pin", ring (usually not letter sweaters or jackets any more)

  • College dating (former?) [cf. in loco parentis]: meeting the girl's "housemother," curfew times, check-out/in, etc.

• Sports contests at various levels (Little League, High School, College, etc). (who is 'expected' to play, what levels are involved, what types of parental behavior are associated, what issues have emerged, etc)

• Popular superstitions and avoidance procedures (e.g. when one encounters a black cat crossing one's path, a ladder across a sidewalk, etc.) Passing the salt to another person at the dinner table instead of placing it on the table closer to them?