The top 30 modern ways we remember lost loved ones

  • last year
Researchers have revealed the top 30 modern ways we remember lost loved ones - such as getting tattoos, running marathons - and endlessly retelling their jokes.

A poll of 2,000 adults revealed wearing a football shirt from their favourite team and ticking items off their bucket list are also among the homages to celebrate the legacy and memories of family and friends who are no longer with them.

Other popular ways to remember loved ones were to go on a day trip to a meaningful place, cook a recipe learned from them or create a piece of art.

It also emerged 77 per cent feel it's important to celebrate and remember loved ones, with 85 per cent believing such celebrations should be positive rather than upsetting.

The research was commissioned ahead of Celebration Day [https://celebrationday.com/] on Sunday May 28 to encourage people to pause, come together and celebrate those no longer with us.

Julia Samuel MBE, grief specialist and psychologist, said: “Talking about death is still seen as a taboo subject, but it is so important that we do, and that we continue to share stories and rituals and tales about our loved ones who have died.

“Having a special day like Celebration Day where we can say their name, talk about them, we can laugh about them and we can remember them helps us with confidence and robustness to take them forward with us, as we go forward.”

The study also found 72 per cent of adults would be interested in planting a tree to remember a loved one, with protecting the environment and finding trees peaceful being some of the main reasons for this choice.

But 65 per cent believe, aside from specific days of remembrance, there are too few opportunities where everyone feels encouraged to come together and talk about lost loved ones.

And 63 per cent don’t have a regular ritual to remember a lost loved one.

In fact, 24 per cent believe Britain as a society is not very good at managing grief, loss and death.

Of those who find it an uncomfortable subject, 29 per cent worry about upsetting others, while 22 per cent feel there is ‘never a good time’ to bring up such a potentially difficult subject with people they know.

Despite this, one in five would like to talk more about loved ones who have passed away, according to OnePoll.com figures, while 70 per cent enjoy hearing stories about them.

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