A lot of people look forward to the Christmas holidays because it is a time to spend with loved ones. ‘Tis indeed the season to be merry, jolly, and holly with glorious food to eat, traditions to carry on, and gifts to give. However, if you are facing the season after your loved one’s death, it is totally understandable why celebrating is the furthest thing on your mind. Sadly, you may even be thinking if you will ever enjoy the holidays again when there is an empty chair on your table. The vacant space reinforces that a special someone is absent from your life.

After dealing with the cremations services, it is completely normal to feel dispirited and depressed. Anyone who has ever lost an important person will tell you that things will not be the same again. However, hope is never lost because after giving yourself time to grieve, you can look forward to making new holiday traditions while fondly remembering the old ones. After all, living a vibrant life can also be a form of tribute to your deceased loved one who wants nothing more than to see you happy. Here’s how you can celebrate the holiday season when your loved one just passed away:

 

Create a Remembrance Ornament Tradition

To help you celebrate the life of your departed loved one, start an ornament tradition. Every year, buy a new ornament that reminds you of this dear person. It could be a pretty personalized photo ornament, a handcrafted one made by the children, or any other pretty ornament that makes you smile because it compels you to think of your beloved. Through this, you can feel close to your loved one even if he or she is gone. Finding new ways to celebrate the season while keeping the deceased in mind will ensure you can get through the holidays even if you’re heart is hurting.

 

Cook a Favorite Holiday Dish

So you can still feel the presence of your loved ones during this festive occasion, incorporate the deceased’s favorite food on your table. You can try learning the recipe of your beloved’s favorite dish and make sure it is included every year. Another great idea is to use your loved one’s favorite cookie or dessert recipe. Make it come alive in your kitchen and reminisce as you smell the delicious aroma. You can make the goodies and give them as your Christmas giveaways for your family and friends, both near and far.

 

Set the Mood with Music

Music is a language unto itself. Sometimes, when you’re feeling down, turning to music can help soothe your emotions. It will help if you make a holiday playlist with your loved one’s favorite songs. Through this, you can remember your happy memories with each other. It would also help if you can sing with your family and friends. Why not try a Christmas caroling get-together so you can have fun and honor your loved one at the same time.

 

Light a Memory Candle

At the beginning of the holiday season, why not light up a memory candle to celebrate your loved one. Do the initial lighting ceremony with your closest family and friends who would also love to remember the deceased. You can share fond memories as you do this candle ceremony. Think of this as one of the many memorials you can do for the deceased, even if the funeral services are long done. This little ritual shows though the person is gone; he or she is never forgotten. If you want to ensure the candle stays lit up until the end of the holiday season, use a faux LED candle. A real one is a fire hazard if you don’t keep a close watch on it.

 

Contribute to Any Charity or Cause

Since Christmas is the season of giving, contributing to charity will help alleviate your pain. Donate to a cause that’s close to the departed’s heart. Give the donation in the person’s name as a way to honor his/ her precious life. You can make this a new tradition and give to charity annually. It doesn’t have to be fancy at all. You can donate meals to a soup kitchen, volunteer in a nursing home facility, or bring cheer in a children’s cancer ward in the hospital. Doing something that helps others will also help you heal. Furthermore, it will encourage you to count your blessings. Though you may be suffering now because you lost someone dear to you, sharing with others motivate you to see that acts of kindness bring so much positivity.

 

Visit a Special Place to Bring a Surge of Good Memories

Finally, try going somewhere where you feel close to your departed loved one. You can visit the gravesite and bring flowers, or you can also go back to a location where you spent a lot of memories together. Doing so may be bittersweet, but this will allow you to grapple with disrupted traditions and forever altered holiday festivities. Sometimes, facing these adverse changes in your life will allow you to cope and move forward swiftly. After all, your deceased loved one will not be happy seeing you in perpetual misery. The best way to honor the dead is to live a full life with happy memories of time spent with them in your heart and mind.