empty formalities; useless ceremony
Refers to formalities or rituals that lack substance or genuine feeling, often criticized as a waste of time.
I felt his greeting was nothing more than an empty formality.
Let's skip the useless formalities of the meeting and get to the main topic.
Compound of 虚 (kyo, 'empty, false') and 礼 (rei, 'etiquette, ceremony'). The combination directly conveys 'empty formalities'.