Deck the halls together for a stronger mariage

Couples that participate in and find meaning in religious holiday rituals, such as decorating the home for the holidays or lighting candles, may be making their marriages stronger.

So says a recent study that concluded that couples were more satisfied with their marriages when they found meaning in shared religious holiday rituals, such as trimming the Christmas tree or lighting Hanukkah candles.

After studying 120 couples, these findings were published by the American Psychological Association.

In their study, psychologists Barbara H. Fiese and Thomas J. Tomcho of Syracuse University interviewed 120 couples who had been married for an average of nine years with at least one preschool child.

"The couple's private world of intimate ties and connections often becomes public in the practice of religious rituals," said the authors, "and the couple may reaffirm their connection and intimacy through the practice of meaningful rituals."

The couples were questioned about their family rituals and about the relative importance of religion in their families as they were growing up and in their current family. The couples' marital satisfaction was assessed through such questions as "Do you confide in your mate?" and "How often do you laugh together?"

Religion is related to marital satisfaction through the meaning created in shared rituals, according to the study. The effect was found stronger than the mere practice of religious holiday routines or the degree to which religion is considered important by the couples.

Such rituals are often passed down from one generation to the next, which played an indirect role in predicting current relationship satisfaction, according to the study.

Some gender differences were found. Husbands' marital satisfaction was more closely linked to ritual meaning, and wives' satisfaction was more associated with the routine practices surrounding the rituals.

Sometimes referred to as the "kin keepers" of ritual practices, wives usually have the responsibility of carrying out the routine and passing down the practices from one generation to the next, according to the authors. However, husbands' emotional investment in these events was also found to be an

was also found to be an important indicator of marital satisfaction.

The practice of meaningful religious rituals may be just one aspect of how families create meaning in their relationships, according to the authors.

"In the context of a changing society in which marriage is a vulnerable institution, religious ritual practices may preserve relationships and serve as a positive template for future generations," they said.

This story is provided by State Point Media.