As the holiday season is rapidly approaching, many friends and families are preparing for happy and enjoyable festivities. However, if someone has recently lost a loved one, the preparation and holiday spirit may be quite different than previous years. The holidays during the first year after the loss of a loved one are always the most difficult. After the death of a loved one, making it through the Holiday’s may be an exhausting and burdensome task. However, there are ways to cope. As you prepare for this year’s holidays, there are various ways to make it through festivities with the deceased not being present. The following ways also help increase holiday spirit and allow you to enjoy the season, whilst coping with grief.

Balancing alone time versus time spent with others

The Holiday season is always busy and you will constantly be surrounded by people. Ensure you balance time with others and still set aside alone time for yourself. This will assist your ability to cope with grieving emotions, whilst still enjoying the company of others.

Hang their stocking or favourite ornament

Though it may be difficult, you should decorate as normal so you do not disrupt holiday traditions. During decorating, you can hang their stocking or their favourite ornament to serve as a way to honour and commemorate them during the Holiday season.

Cook their favourite dish

By cooking their favourite dish or dessert, you can flavourfully commemorate them by serving the dish or dessert to you and your loved ones. This is a unique way to honour the lost loved one, as well as continue normal holiday traditions.

Toasting or Story-Telling

Before serving the Holiday meal, you could make a toast to honour the deceased. Additionally, you, or your loved ones, could go around the table and share stories and memories of the lost loved one. By doing so, you may feel a sense of inclusion or presence of them at the Holiday event.

Visit the loved one’s grave

During the Holiday’s, it is important to visit the place where your loved one was buried. By visiting their grave, you may gain a sense of peace and calm grieving emotions by reflecting on the joys of previous Holiday’s spent with them. You may also take a wreath or flowers to decorate their grave for the Holiday season.

Although the Holiday’s may be difficult to get through without the presence of your loved one, by incorporating meaningful ways to commemorate them and maintaining Holiday traditions, it may become easier to enjoy the Holiday festivities.

If you, or someone you know, needs support through the Holiday season or needs assistance planning a funeral, please contact us.

Happy Holidays