mourning periods
Times for grief
Mourning periods are designated times following a death during which the bereaved observe rituals of grief.
Different cultures prescribe different durations—Jewish shiva lasts seven days, while Victorian widows wore black for years.
The formal period marks a transition from acute grief back to ordinary life: The family is still in their mourning period.
Modern Western practice has largely abandoned fixed mourning periods in favor of individual timelines.
- final farewellConclusive leave-taking
- funeral ritesCustoms for honoring deceased
- sadnessState of emotional pain
- memorial servicesCeremonies honoring deceased persons
- sympathy cardsMessages expressing sorrow
condolence letters · burial traditions · acceptance · support groups · shiva · forty days · closure · emotional healing · depression · denial · widow's weeds · wearing black · black armband · torn garment · half mast · grieving process · bargaining · catharsis
- funeral customsburial, funeral, cremation, funeral procession, casket
- mourningfuneral, burial, grief, bereavement, wake
- old customsarranged marriage, arranged marriages, dowry, betrothal, courtship rituals
- Jewish mourningshiva, shivah, yahrzeit, sitting shiva, seven days
- cultural rhythmsfestivals, holidays, seasons, harvest cycles, lunar cycles
mourning periodscelebrations
Organized expressions of joy
festivities · jubilees · feast days · holidays · honeymoon periods
mourning periodsrevelry
Noisy, lively celebration
merrymaking · carnival · Mardi Gras · bacchanalia · letting loose
mourning periodsbacchanalia
Uninhibited drunken festivity
fiesta · revels · high season
mourning, mourn, mourns, mourned, mourner, mourners, mournful, mournfully, period