Dying Matters Awareness Week occurs every year during May. It’s a week to spread awareness about the importance of discussing death, dying, and bereavement.

Since death is such a taboo subject in western culture, this awareness week is especially important because let’s face it, eventually, we all are going to pass away. It’s better to be open and honest about this instead of feeling scared and alone when thinking about the subject of death.

To help funeral homes participate in Dying Matters Awareness Week, we have compiled some ideas below to get you started!

Host an Event

Use your funeral home to host an awareness event for your community. For instance, you could host a Death Café. All you need to do is provide some coffee, tea, snacks, and conversational prompts. You could also host a preplanning seminar. There, you can explain to families why preplanning is so beneficial. Make it fun by calling it “Pizza and Preplanning.” Of course, make sure to provide the pizza!

Post About It on Social Media

Use social media to discuss the importance of acknowledging and talking about death. Let your community know that your funeral home is there for any of their end-of-life questions or needs. By showing your community you care, people will begin to open up about the subject.

Feature it in Your Newsletter

Does your funeral home have some kind of newsletter? If so, featuring Dying Matters Awareness Week in it is a great way to get conversations started. By talking about death, people can better plan their end-of-life arrangements and think about what they want to accomplish in this life.

Create a Before I Die Board

Started by artist Candy Chang, a Before I Die board is a space where people can share things they want to do before they die. Basically, it is a communal bucket list.  Follow these directions to make a Before I Die board of your own. It’s a great way for people to share their aspirations and to get to know each other a little better!