The Culture of Dying – Dying Matters Awareness Week (5-11 May 2025)

5 May marks the start of Dying Matters Awareness Week, a campaign initiated by Hospice UK as a way of bringing communities together to break the stigma around death, dying and grief. This year’s theme is the “Culture of Dying Matters.”

Death and dying across cultures

Death and dying is still very much a taboo in Western cultures, particularly here in the UK. However, it’s important to note that we don’t all have the same attitudes, views, and practices around death and dying. Hospice UK addressed this topic with people from different faiths, cultures and backgrounds, and found:

  • Some believe that death and grief connects them to their ancestors
  • Some people see death as intertwined with their faith, while others do not
  • Some people believe that spending time with the body after a person has died is important
  • Some believe that remembering the deceased person is the one of the most important things you can do after death
  • Many believe that death and dying is not talked about as openly as it should be

At Dorothy House, we offer a personalised approach to our care, providing support to anyone in across our 800sq miles who needs it, enabling people to live well and die peacefully. For many, we know approaching the end of life may raise questions. This could be reflecting on the meaning of life, questioning whether there is an afterlife, or even challenging a particular view or attitude they’ve held for so long. Spiritual support is an integral part of the care we provide, offered to patients, families and loved ones, whether they are of faith or no faith.

In addition to our spiritual support for patients and families, we also offer training for people in our community who may be encountering people at the end of life or going through a bereavement. To date, we have offered this training to funeral directors, crematorium staff, ministers, and charity staff and volunteers.

The Culture of Dying Matters

To explore this year’s theme further, we’re looking into some of the most common questions around death and culture, with a series of video shorts which we’ve shared below. To introduce us, here’s our Spiritual Support Lead, Dave Smith:

How do different cultures respond to death?

For some cultures, the dying process is an important rite of passage, where members of the community gather around the dying person in their final moments. For others, it can be spending time with the person after they have died, taking part in rituals such as bathing or dressing the body.

In this clip, we explore the rituals and ceremonies around death across the world, and how many share the common purpose of honouring life, marking loss, and finding meaning.

How would you like your death to be?

Asking ‘how would you like your death to be?’ is a big and powerful question. However, taking time to think about what we want can provide peace of mind and comfort to ourselves and our loved ones. In this clip, we explore how different cultures approach conversations about death, and how in the UK, more of us are taking steps to talk about advance care planning.

How do we leave our loved ones?

Preparing for death isn’t just about the practicalities – it’s about the emotional legacy we leave behind too. In this clip, we explore customs around the world that honour and celebrate the dead, such as Día de los Muertos in Mexico, and fantasy coffins in Ghana.

How can culture affect the way we grieve?

Grief is an individual journey that we all take at some point, but for each person, that journey will be unique. However, it is also important to recognise that some communities may experience grief collectively, supporting each member through their own individual journey. In this final clip, we look at mourning traditions and customs around the world.

United by grief and loss

It’s important to note that everyone’s attitudes and practices around death are different. There are so many differences in the ways that different cultures and faiths approach death and dying, however the thing that’s universal are the emotions that we share. While we know that grief affects every person differently, studies have shown that in relation to race, age, or religion, there are no scientific differences. How we feel about death and grief is what unites us.

For more information on Dying Matters Awareness Week, including downloadable resources and conversation starters, head to the Hospice UK website. If you’d like to join in the conversation on our social media, be sure to tag us and use #DMAW25 and #TheCultureOfDyingMatters.