Each Lithuanian A ceremony is a ritual or a combination of several rituals, created together with the deceased's relatives or with the person themselves, preparing for their departure. Rituals can help reduce the pain of loss or come to terms with the fear of death.
Here are a few examples illustrating why rituals are important.
They bring people closer together.. According to Tracey Wallace, who creates beautiful jewellery from cremated ashes, „Mourning rituals and ceremonies are designed to bring people together, to take the hands of those grieving a loss and help them move forward“.
They help us become emotionally stronger. A grief study by Harvard scientists found that those who experienced few or no symptoms of severe grief within a month of losing a loved one shared one common trait: they performed rituals to remember, grieve, celebrate, or make sense of the loss.
They help us feel more in control of our lives. The parties, participants in the aforementioned study, who performed the ritual or wrote about creating the ritual, felt they were in control of the situation and less often felt helpless or unable to manage something.
They create a sense of closeness with loved ones who are no longer present. One of the key aspects of ritual is a shared sense of meaning and familiarity. The use of familiar words and actions in an unfamiliar situation helps to more easily accept a changed world.
They provide space for emotions and thoughts. In the aforementioned Harvard study, researchers concluded that personal rituals were most helpful for grieving individuals. Although most of the personal rituals described seemed meaningless to the researchers, the small actions performed by those grieving, such as washing their car on the same day every week, helped them emotionally cope with their loss. After performing the rituals, these individuals felt a sense of relief.
A few ritual ideas you can try
Create a memory box. Ask family members to collect photographs, memories, clothing or favourite items of the deceased. You can also place poems or quotes in the box that remind you of the deceased. Keep the box in a special, accessible place so that family members can visit it at certain times of the year and remember the departed with warmth each time they open it.
Write letters or a diary. Pouring your thoughts onto paper is a well-known form of relaxation, stress relief, and a type of meditation. For example, you can write letters to a deceased loved one on their birthday or the anniversary of their death and keep them in a box, burn them, or pass them on as a legacy for future generations to understand your relationship with the departed.
Plant a memorial tree or flower garden. If you have the space, create a garden in honour of your loved one, perhaps by planting a tree or even a whole flower garden. Each time you tend to or water your plants, you'll be able to remember the deceased and thus maintain a connection with them.
Organise family gatherings in a place the deceased person loved. Whether it's a workplace, a favourite park, or a dream destination a deceased person always wanted to visit, gathering in these places can help you connect with their passions and interests, thus creating a sense of closeness.
If you would like more ritual ideas, you can always contact us using the details provided and we will be happy to help.
