Holidays, particularly after a year like we’ve had, can be very difficult for those left behind who grieve. Visiting gravesites can stir up unsettled emotions for anyone, but for those who can, decorating them during the holidays can mean honoring loved ones and including them in their current holiday traditions.

Grave decorating has long had a presence in American and European folklore. Greeks added flowers to the gravesite of warriors, Mexican Catholics used elaborate decorations for All Soul’s Day, and Americans honored Civil War dead by cleaning graves ad adorning their plots with American flags and flowers.

Regardless of where you come from, maintaining an emotional the with the deceased is displayed worldwide and is accepted as a show of love.

*Temple edu.