Creating Rituals At Home

“When tea becomes ritual, it takes its place at the heart of our ability to see greatness in small things…” - Muriel Barbery

Rituals can be simple in their requirements, repeated like clockwork each day. Others we reserve for just once a week, to create a familiar sense of celebration and comfort.

With so much more time being spent at home, we have become our own in-house mixologist, chef and facialist. They are rituals we have created for ourselves, and while our newfound skills may not hold up in the real world, they make our time at home productive, grounding and a little bit luxury - a part of our 2021 modalità di funzionamento.

MIND

While indulging in a sleep-in is still a favourite weekend ritual, during the working week we maximise early mornings with a short sharp piccolo and an online pilates class. To set the scene (and, mood) for the day, we transport ourselves to the island of Sicily. Enter: Ortigia’s Fico D'India candle.

A delicious mix of exotic prickly pear cactus, with the sensuous notes of wild orange flower, this is the perfect scent to reminisce on Italy’s most southern region. The ritual of lighting a candle is one of the easiest ways to slow the mind and to take a minute to ourselves. Complimentary to the considered movements of pilates, the act of lighting the candle itself and watching the gentle flickering of the flame, focuses the mind and sets the tone for the day ahead.

BODY

Being home so much doesn’t warrant any neglect of the skin. In fact, it’s a gratifying ritual to follow. While home facials are essential (at our most recent count, our morning routine is now six steps), dry winter skin isn’t reserved just for our faces and décolletage.

A combination of constant handwashing (C/O global pandemic) and brisk winter air has left our hands and bodies needing some extra T.L.C. We are accustomed to following our handwashing with beautiful 

hand cream (our top pick is Florio Hand Cream), and we now religiously include our overall body in the self-care ritual. A steaming hot shower is nothing short of amazing to wake us up in the morning or send us into a relaxed slumber late at night. However, the hotter the water, the more inflamed and dry the skin can become. 

We now opt for a warm shower (followed by a blast of cooler water to finish – trust us, your skin will thank you later), using Ortigia’s Ambra Nera Shower Gel. Following the shower, we lather our skin in the Fico D’India Body Cream for total hydration and nourishment, and not to mention, a true sensory delight.

SPIRITO DEL PARTITO

While dancing the night away has become a distant memory reserved for 2019, we do like to make our evenings at home a little more special come the weekend. Channelling some of our favourite chefs, and in an attempt to emulate their culinary skills (albeit, with far less prowess), we have fast become connoisseurs of delicious seafood linguine, pared with a Caprese salad. Once the wine is poured, we add a little ‘Volare’ care of Dean Martin and che bello, the night is ours!

We would love to know some of the rituals you have incorporated into your daily life since 2020 - comment below (it may just serve as inspiration)!