Grief Rituals
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Holiday Candle Memorial: Place five candles around a simple wreath or on a fireplace mantle. As you light each candle, say the following: " As we light these five candles in honor of you, we light one for our grief, one for our courage, one for our memories, one for our love, and one for our hope".

Make A Holiday Centerpiece: Make a centerpiece using a styrofoam base. The one that I made includes small poinsettia to represent the holiday season and several small articles such as a motorcycle and violin that represent my son's life. The focal point of the centerpiece was a wooden guitar that I cut out of a pine board, painted, and wrote his name on it.

Decorative Grave Site For Holiday: A wreath or small Christmas tree can be decorated and placed at your loved ones grave site. But don't forget other holidays. The first Halloween after my son's death my youngest son put shaving cream on his brother's head stone as his way of memorializing and including him in the holiday activities.

Donate A Toy To A Needy Child: Most towns and cities either have an angel tree or toys for tots program. Not only will you be helping to make a child's Christmas brighter, but helping yourself as well.

Rituals empower individuals emotionally, mentally, spiritually. I hope that you have found at least one idea that is meaningful for you and has enticed you to create a ritual for yourself or together with your family. If you would like to add your grief rituals, please send them to us at the email provided below.

Joyce Humphrey
HALos Founder

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