The outward European ritual forms gradually were accepted and became standard religious activities. However, religious ritual during the period also reflected both ethnic diversity and cultural mestizaje (mixing). For example, Indians danced traditional dances and wore their own special ritual garments for ostensibly Spanish and/or Catholic rituals and festivals. They also performed religious plays and songs in their own language. They, as well as Africans, interpreted religious ritual from their own perspective. For example, there are ceremonies in which Africans and Indians joined together to call upon the saints by performing indigenous dances in indigenous dress and experiencing ecstatic trances, all the while including elements of African ancestor worship. Another interesting example of popular ritual is the oratorios or home altars phenomenon. These home altars became extremely popular during the colonial period, especially during the seventeenth century. Participants devised and performed their own religious rites that included scapulars (special sacramental clothing) and devotion to St. Anthony of Padua. All ethnic groups were represented, but the ceremonies appear to have been organized primarily by women. Individuals danced, sang, and feasted on sweet cakes and hot chocolate. Although these fiestas were repeatedly banned by the Inquisition, little could be done to stop their occurrence, a fact admitted by the inquisitors themselves.

In conclusion, ritual in colonial Mexico served a myriad of functions. Rituals such as public festivals created over time a complex of shared symbols and acts that alluded to a shared belief system that civil and religious leaders hoped to foster. In this regard, ritual was didactic and sought to encourage a particular mode of behavior from its participants and spectators. Diverse peoples were linked by ritual form imported from Europe. However, individuals changed and combined those forms, reflecting the evolving social milieu of a heterogeneous American colony. Civic events postulated Spanish superiority but not without, in some cases, attempting to integrate the segments of society that actually constituted the majority. On a more personal level, this ritual bolstered the position of the elite, not only because they sponsored these lavish displays, but because they invariably placed themselves next to the very heart of the essential symbol. Rituals also strengthened communities and brought solace to the afflicted, providing a prescribed manner in which to deal with the trials of life and death. However, rituals and accompanying symbols could divide people and breed rivalry and even hostility, such as was the case with competing cofradías in Mexico City.