02/05/2026
The anniversary of a loved one's death can bring fresh "griefbursts", seemingly turning your world upside down again for a short time.
These griefbursts "typically take mourners by surprise", according to grief and loss expert Dr Alan Wolfelt, and can occur even years later, despite feeling you have accepted and integrated your loss into your new life.
Griefbursts can also occur at otherwise joyful times such as birthdays, graduations, weddings, the birth of babies, as well as when experiencing another loss, or simply be prompted by a reminder of that person.
"They may be going about their day, not thinking about the death at that moment, when something as simple as a smell, a sound, or a place brings the full force of their loss down upon them. Their grief “bursts” in on them. Because grief never discretely ends, griefbursts are great reminders that love never dies," Dr Wolfelt writes.
Creating an anniversary ritual may help, or you may find that each year requires something a little different. Adding your loved one’s photo or a keepsake to a table, or lighting a candle for them can be a physical reminder of their presence and allow them to be a part of any special day, as well as prompting conversations and shared memories about that person which provide warmth and support.
