Ceremonies and Rituals

This week Layne and I were able to attend two funerals. One was for a dear friend, the other for someone we didn't know but we were asked to sing two songs for the graveside memorial service.
I was just thinking about the purpose of ceremonies and rituals in our lives. I'm just thinking out loud here but why are they so important that we go miles out of our way to attend them?
We have to put aside our usual daily grind to come together for an acknowledgement of more important concepts than work/play etiquette. Oh you know what I'm talking about; 'life is precious', 'family is everything', that kind of stuff.
The same concepts are always voiced, maybe there's even memorized phrases. There's music and visual imagery to encourage contemplation and unity. I wonder if people could really remember what's important if we didn't have these time-outs from all our personal, self-absorbed fuss.
I guess there's prayer and scripture-study to bring us out of ourselves everyday. But are these too, in the private ceremony/ritual category?
I've heard the elite/intelligentsia types speak contemptuously of rituals in general. 'I guess this stuff is just for us stupid people who need crutches to help them get through'. But then why is Yoga and meditation so popular? Are these also rituals?
Doesn't that make the point that human beings are engineered to need certain things if the vast majority seems to need them?
I believe these 'ritualized quiet coming togethers' give us opportunities to reach out to each other with love and understanding. I believe they are an acknowledgement that we need each other, and that every life matters. I believe this need for ritual is a gift to those who are willing to accept it.