Did you know that every first week of March, Thetas (and all sorority members!) celebrate National Ritual Celebration Week? The first day of this week is reserved for International Badge Day, when sorority members all over wear their badges to represent their respective organizations and honor their memberships.
If you are a Theta, you can understand that the spirit of ritual oftentimes goes beyond words; the feelings and lived experiences we have with other Thetas make the special meanings within our ritual ring true, but only as we choose to live them each day. As a 30+ year Theta myself, my understanding of Theta ritual has grown over the years, and I can much more clearly understand the words I promised at initiation through life experiences (both good and bad) and Theta friendships I’ve gained over the decades. It almost goes without saying that my knowledge of Theta ritual is drastically different as an alumna than it was during my college years!
There are many ways to celebrate Theta’s ritual. As a start, consider reflecting on these questions:
- How do I live out Theta ritual in my daily life? In what ways can I better incorporate ritual?
- What moments in my Theta experience have been the most impactful and meaningful?
- Which Theta sisters have helped me throughout my Theta journey? How can I be a true sister to another Theta?
Below are some ways to dig a little deeper into Theta’s ritual during the week, or at any time!
- Visit the Theta website’s Heritage section to reflect on our symbols, our badge, and our founders.
- Watch the award-winning movie The Kite to learn more about our Fraternity’s beginnings and the first time our kite-shaped badge was worn at Indiana Asbury College!
- Download the Ritual Book (found in Theta Portal > Documents > Manuals) to relive ceremonies such as the Pledge, Loyalty, and Initiation Services. Recall what you promised Theta when you joined and what Theta offers to you throughout your lifelong membership.
- Wear your Theta badge! If you need a new one, or want to upgrade, visit the Shop page on the Theta website to browse the selection from J. Lewis Small, the Fraternity jeweler. If you can’t wear your badge that day, consider wearing black and gold or something with a kite or pansy (i.e., earrings or necklace). See below for some pointers on how to wear your badge, per the Ritual Book.
Happy National Ritual Celebration Week! If you wear your badge on International Badge Day on Monday, March 3, consider sharing photos on social media and tagging Kappa Alpha Theta (along with using the hashtags #BadgeDay26 and #IWearABadge), and uploading them to ThetaConnect to share with your Theta sisters.