Cultures throughout the world practice bereavement rituals to help them psychologically process the loss of a loved one. Events celebrating life are one example of such a bereavement ritual.
Rather than focus on the heavy grief and loss that are a centerpiece of traditional funerals and wake, many people today are looking for more uplifting ways to memorialize the passing of friends and family. In fact, there are many creative ways to preserve the memory of someone who has passed and activities that can be done in their honor.
Planning these events while grieving is difficult. That’s why the list of ideas below should help.
- A Memorial Playlist
Spend time looking for music that your loved one enjoyed, or even songs that remind you of them. A playlist is a timeless way to revisit memories together and can be replayed long after a burial or cremation. Even constructing it can help process some grief.
- A Cathartic Scrapbook
If you have many pictures of your loved one, creating a scrapbook is a way to let some grief out. Like constructing a playlist, making a scrapbook is bound to be a tearful activity. It can also be revisited time and time again, as well as shared with others.
Thanks to technology, this scrapbook doesn’t need to be physical. A digital scrapbook is cheaper to make and more easily shared with others.
- Social Media Pages
Facebook has created a way to memorialize accounts after the account owner passes away. That person’s original posts will remain, but their friends and family can continue posting messages and memories to their page. Next to their name, it will say, “Remembering.”
The memorial account will no longer be able to be logged into. Instead, it will become a place where people can read about how much that person is loved.
- Donating to Charities
It’s likely that your loved one had causes or interests they were passionate about. Whether they loved animals or cared about the homeless, there’s likely a charity out there that supports their cause. You may even consider donating to a charity that helps prevent or study their cause of death.
- Making Fabrics
When people pass away, they leave a lot of stuff behind. One of the hardest things to deal with after death is what to do with their clothes. Why not sew them into a unique, patchwork fabric that can be used for quilts or pillows?
There will probably be enough clothing to create items that can be shared with many friends and family members.
Other Ways of Celebrating Life
This is by no means an exhaustive list of all activities celebrating life. For example, children who have lost loved ones may benefit from making a time capsule. When they grow older, they can open the time capsule to re-discover unique mementos celebrating the life of the loved one they lost.
For more unique ideas for events of any kind, you can browse our page.