How to Celebrate Loss Anniversaries

Loss and death are inevitably intertwined with life, and experiencing them can be life-altering. However, who is to say that you have to let the death of a loved one keep you from celebrating them for who they were. On the contrary, you can choose to remember and honor your deceased loved one on their death anniversary. Planning something special for the day will prevent you from wallowing in sadness and enable you to cherish the time you spent with the person while they were alive.

So, without ado, let’s look at some ways to celebrate a death anniversary and remember your loved one! 

8 Ways to Celebrate a Death Anniversary

Here are eight ways to remember your loved one on their death anniversary:

• Write Letters to Them

Depending on your relationship with the deceased, you can gather all of the closest loved ones on their death anniversary and hand out decorated papers to them so they can write heartfelt letters to your loved one. 

Some people might need more time to craft their letters, so you can also mail the papers in advance so that everyone shows up with the letter on the death anniversary. Then, you can read out the letters to each other, or you can burn or bury them. It will allow all the deceased’s loved ones to give a fitting tribute to them and remember them and the place they held in their lives. 

• Volunteer for a Cause They Supported

Another fitting way for paying tribute and remembering a loved one on the day of their passing is to volunteer for a cause or an organization they held near and dear to their heart. You can also ask their other loved ones who might be interested in volunteering with you. It will allow you to celebrate the deceased individual while discussing your memories of them. The cause itself will help you step into their shoes and do something they loved doing and were so passionate about. 

• Listen to their Favorite Songs

Music and songs have unique, magical ways of connecting souls beyond this physical realm. Given the healing power of music, what could be a more fitting tribute for the deceased than spending their death anniversary listening to the songs they loved to listen to in their life? 

You can create a special playlist and set aside the time to truly enjoy each song and the memories you associate with them. You can also ask people to send you songs that remind them of your loved one. It will help you uncover great stories about them, and listening to each piece of music will feel like you have them sitting right beside you.  

• Cook their Favorite Meal

If you want to feel connected to your loved one on their death anniversary while honoring them, you can prepare their favorite meal and invite their family and friends over for a special dinner. It will not only help you remember them, but it will also enable you to celebrate them with the people who meant the most to them. Together, you can sit around a fire or the dinner table and share poignant stories involving them and remember your favorite memories of them. 

• Visit Your Shared Favorite Place

If you had a shared favorite place that you loved visiting with the deceased individual, their death anniversary is the perfect day for you to revisit that place and all the memories it holds for you. It will be a fitting tribute to the life you shared with them. It can be a restaurant, cinema, park, picnic spots, etc. You can also choose to partake in a shared favorite activity that will help you feel closer to them.

• Surround Yourself with Nature

Nature has a way of humbling us and making us feel at peace with ourselves and our surroundings. You need that kind of peace on a day when the memories of your loved one might crop to the surface of your consciousness and make life feel a little too difficult. So, instead of dwelling on your loss, you can choose to celebrate life, abundance, beauty, grace, and every positive aspect of nature that can heal us. 

Let fresh air cleanse your soul. If your loved one was a fan of nature, you can join an outdoor yoga session, a goat or alpaca farm, or go camping to honor them. Or choose a simple hike or park to immerse yourself in your surroundings. You can bring a book to read or a journal to pour your thoughts in while you sit on the grass. 

• Hold a Vigil & Plant a Tree

If you have plans of getting together with your loved ones on the deceased’s death anniversary, you can ask them if they’d be interested in planting trees in their name. It’s one of the best tributes you can give to them. It can become your way of honoring the life they lived by planting the seeds of a new life. After the tree-planting activity, you can hold a small candle-lighting vigil for them. 

• Arrange a Game Night in Their Name

If your loved one enjoyed the idea of getting together over the weekend and enjoying a wholesome family or friends’ game night, you must throw one in their honor. Gather all of your loved ones and arrange traditional and modern multiplayer games, such as scrabble, monopoly, twister, card games, chess, don’t panic, and more. 

Pick some food items and beverages for the night and put in some good music to set the mood. Throw some cushions and throws around and sit on the floor with your favorite people to commence the game night in honor of your deceased loved one. It will enable you to have a fun, memorable time with your family and friends and make happy memories centered on the person you lost.

The Bottom Line

While suffering from the loss of a loved one is a soul-crushing experience, their death doesn’t mean that you stop celebrating their life. You can choose the ways mentioned above to commemorate their death anniversary with those who adored them the most and knew them the best.