complicated rules and ceremonials; lavish ceremonies; mumbo jumbo; prolix style and hackneyed rites;red-tapery(/red-tapism); red tape; slow-grinding official wheels; trivial formalities; unnecessary and elaborate formalities ? 他說最近很忙，并且主要的是因上海解放了，新社會了，不時興過去那一套～。(周而復《上海的早晨》Ⅰ—392) So he had said that he was busy just now and anyway the main thing was that now that Shanghai had been liberated they were living in new society where it was no longer the done thing to have such lavish ceremonies. ? 我們最反對這種～。We are strongly opposed to such red tape.
繁文縟節(jié)
unnecessary and elaborate formalities;red tape 擯棄～cut out red tape
繁文縟節(jié)fán wén rù jié
文：儀式；縟：繁多；節(jié)：禮節(jié)。指過分煩瑣的儀式和禮節(jié)。比喻煩瑣多余。red tape, prolix style and hackneyed rites, complicated rules and ceremonials, superfluous rules and usages