Step back for a second — why do you think humans feel such a deep need to mark occasions at all?

A natural way to answer

I think it comes down to our need to make sense of time. Left to itself, time is shapeless, so we carve it up with rituals that give the days meaning. Marking an occasion is a way of saying 'this mattered' out loud — a shared pause that lets us take stock of how far we've come together.

Key phrases to use

• draw a line under — to treat something as finished and move on from it“The ceremony let us draw a line under the year.”
• run into one another — (of periods of time or things) to merge with no clear separation“Without holidays, the months run into one another.”
• take stock — to pause and assess your situation or how things are going“New Year is a time to take stock.”
• hold a moment still — to try to preserve or freeze a fleeting moment“A photo is a way to hold a moment still.”
• pass unnoticed — to happen without being seen, marked or remarked upon“We didn't want the day to pass unnoticed.”
• stake a claim — to assert your ownership of or right to something“Marking the day is a way to stake a claim on it.”