
A Time to Gather
How Ritual Created the World--and How It Can Save Us
Bruce Feiler(Author)
The Penguin Press
Published on 19. May 2026
Book
Hardback
368 pages
978-0-593-65643-3 (ISBN)
Description
One of our great decoders of human connection chronicles the astonishing rise of new rituals around the world—and offers a road map for restoring togetherness with gatherings you’ll love
Since time immemorial, humans have turned to ritual to connect us in periods of change. Until today. Birth rituals and coming-of-age rituals have plummeted; fewer than half of Americans are married; only one in three is buried. “It took us ten thousand years to establish cultural norms around how we mark collective life transitions,” writes Bruce Feiler. “It took us fifty years to dismantle them.” Can this threat to society be reversed?
To find out, Feiler went on a round-the-world ritual road trip, attending—and participating in—life rituals in sixteen countries on six continents. These spectacles, some rarely seen, include a mass baptism in the Vatican, a tribal bride price negotiation in South Africa, an adolescent tooth filing in Bali, six weddings in Las Vegas, and ten funerals in Ireland.
Beyond the decline in traditional rituals, Feiler discovered that we are in the midst of a ritual renaissance that is pushing back against apathy, loneliness, and digital saturation. Fed up with top-down scripts, everyday people, from boomers to Gen Z, are reimagining collective rituals at a remarkable pace, inventing fresh ways to gather around life, love, health, and family—and forging thriving communities in the process.
As he did with Life Is in the Transitions, Feiler also collected stories of a hundred ritual designers and built a first-of-its kind database of ideas to make gatherings more effective—from creating sacred space to mediating conflict to generating “wows” that guests will talk about forever.
From a master storyteller uncovering a thrilling phenomenon hiding in plain sight, A Time to Gather is both a stirring adventure and practical manual. It’s a landmark guide to modern ritual; a tool kit for turning everyday moments into unforgettable celebrations; and an invitation to reconnect and rejoice—together.
Since time immemorial, humans have turned to ritual to connect us in periods of change. Until today. Birth rituals and coming-of-age rituals have plummeted; fewer than half of Americans are married; only one in three is buried. “It took us ten thousand years to establish cultural norms around how we mark collective life transitions,” writes Bruce Feiler. “It took us fifty years to dismantle them.” Can this threat to society be reversed?
To find out, Feiler went on a round-the-world ritual road trip, attending—and participating in—life rituals in sixteen countries on six continents. These spectacles, some rarely seen, include a mass baptism in the Vatican, a tribal bride price negotiation in South Africa, an adolescent tooth filing in Bali, six weddings in Las Vegas, and ten funerals in Ireland.
Beyond the decline in traditional rituals, Feiler discovered that we are in the midst of a ritual renaissance that is pushing back against apathy, loneliness, and digital saturation. Fed up with top-down scripts, everyday people, from boomers to Gen Z, are reimagining collective rituals at a remarkable pace, inventing fresh ways to gather around life, love, health, and family—and forging thriving communities in the process.
As he did with Life Is in the Transitions, Feiler also collected stories of a hundred ritual designers and built a first-of-its kind database of ideas to make gatherings more effective—from creating sacred space to mediating conflict to generating “wows” that guests will talk about forever.
From a master storyteller uncovering a thrilling phenomenon hiding in plain sight, A Time to Gather is both a stirring adventure and practical manual. It’s a landmark guide to modern ritual; a tool kit for turning everyday moments into unforgettable celebrations; and an invitation to reconnect and rejoice—together.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
Penguin Putnam Inc
Dimensions
Height: 242 mm
Width: 159 mm
Thickness: 41 mm
Weight
545 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-593-65643-3 (9780593656433)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
05/2026
Penguin Press
€18.49
Available for download
Person
Bruce Feiler
Content
CONTENTS
Introduction
THE RITUAL RENAISSANCE
How Ritual Created the World—and How It Can Save Us 1
1.
WELCOME WITH JOY
Circling St. Peter’s Square 29
2.
THE LOBOLA CONNECTION
What Happens Under the Mango Tree 53
3.
THE TAYLOR SWIFT DIVORCE PARTY
How to Create a Ritual, Volume 1 77
4.
SKIN IN THE GAME
Coming of Age in Bali 91
5.
HOUSE OF CORRECTION
The Grieving & Weaving Circle of Green-Wood Cemetery 115
6.
JUMPING THE BROOM
How to Create a Ritual, Volume 2 139
7.
THE FOUR SOMETHINGS
All Your Dreams Fulfilled 151
8.
CELEBRATION TRAIL
Seeing the Forest Through the Forest
Bathing 179
9.
BLESS THE BROKEN ROAD
How to Create a Ritual, Volume 3 203
10.
A TIME TO HOLD
RIP.ie, Where Irish Eyes Go to Cry 217
11.
THE PLACENTA CHRONICLES
How to Tell the Story of a Birth 243
12.
THE GARDEN OF LOST CHILDREN
How to Create a Ritual, Volume 4 267
13.
A MOMENT OF HOPE
The Missing Ritual 281
Conclusion
A RITUAL STATE OF MIND
How to Turn Any Gathering into a Life Celebration 303
Acknowledgments 327
Sources 331
Index 337
Introduction
THE RITUAL RENAISSANCE
How Ritual Created the World—and How It Can Save Us 1
1.
WELCOME WITH JOY
Circling St. Peter’s Square 29
2.
THE LOBOLA CONNECTION
What Happens Under the Mango Tree 53
3.
THE TAYLOR SWIFT DIVORCE PARTY
How to Create a Ritual, Volume 1 77
4.
SKIN IN THE GAME
Coming of Age in Bali 91
5.
HOUSE OF CORRECTION
The Grieving & Weaving Circle of Green-Wood Cemetery 115
6.
JUMPING THE BROOM
How to Create a Ritual, Volume 2 139
7.
THE FOUR SOMETHINGS
All Your Dreams Fulfilled 151
8.
CELEBRATION TRAIL
Seeing the Forest Through the Forest
Bathing 179
9.
BLESS THE BROKEN ROAD
How to Create a Ritual, Volume 3 203
10.
A TIME TO HOLD
RIP.ie, Where Irish Eyes Go to Cry 217
11.
THE PLACENTA CHRONICLES
How to Tell the Story of a Birth 243
12.
THE GARDEN OF LOST CHILDREN
How to Create a Ritual, Volume 4 267
13.
A MOMENT OF HOPE
The Missing Ritual 281
Conclusion
A RITUAL STATE OF MIND
How to Turn Any Gathering into a Life Celebration 303
Acknowledgments 327
Sources 331
Index 337