How we talk about death in our culture

“Even though it’s a huge part of the culture and religion, people are still not comfortable talking about it. It is not an openly discussed topic in everyday life.”

“For Muslims, when a baby is newborn, the first thing they get to hear is a call for prayer in their ears. The message is that the prayer for that call will be recited at the time of death. So dying is reminded to a Muslim faith baby on day 1. 

“However, as we grow, the discussion starts getting a bit difficult. Most of this is due to fact that many Muslim countries have been engaged in unpredictable political turmoil and poor healthcare systems. The inhabitants see death and dying in most violent and painful way. This makes discussing death and dying hard. 

“However, my heritage invites me to remember the suffering of the Prophet’s family on an annual basis. Shia Muslims gather and recall how painful it was. This is supposed to make you near to Prophet’s family but also reflect on personal development including death.”

“Now it is [talked about more openly]. It never used to be, especially as children we were excluded. But as people are dying younger – parents are dying for instance – children are included more, and I think that's good because they can have their own way of dealing with grief.

“I think death happens in different ways. So you have to deal with it when it faces you. And I think if it's dealt with openly then I’m not just leaving it for you to deal with – it’s much more dealt with now.”
 

“In many cultures, including some Muslim-majority societies, death is associated with grief and fear, making it a difficult topic to discuss openly. People may avoid talking about it to prevent emotional distress or discomfort. Despite Islamic teachings emphasising the afterlife, the uncertainty of what happens after death can be unsettling, leading many to shy away from the topic. 

“While Islam encourages believers to remember death and prepare for the afterlife, many people focus more on daily life responsibilities, often pushing discussions of death to the background. Death is treated with a deep sense of respect in Islam, and some may feel that casual discussions about it could come across as disrespectful or inappropriate.”

“Death and dying are not talked about enough, and not talked about as openly as they could. The experiences of death and dying are vast; from the practical aspects such as care and the importance of a clear will, to the cultural and emotional support that span much further than the immediate loss.”

“If close family or community members are terminally ill it is encouraged to visit them and pray for them. It is also encouraged to attend the funeral of family and community members. Visiting ill relatives and praying for family members before and after death is normalised and something that I have done from a very young age.”

“Whilst Mexicans experience – like many of us – a range of emotions from fear of death to pain and grief because of the loss of beloved ones; so too can the Mexican Day of the Dead equip communities to open up to talk about death more openly with each other and intergenerationally. 

“The practice’s spirit of remembrance is helping to spark important conversations and to meet many people’s different needs, views and contexts around death awareness, end of life, grief, remembrance and even pet death.”
 

“It’s talked about relatively openly. My culture is white middle class, London. I’m originally from Dunfermline in Scotland. But I don't think of myself as being from Dunfermline particularly, I don't have that culture anymore. 

“I think things have changed over the last two decades, generally speaking. There's a sense that death should be talked about more often. People still find it very difficult, I think.”
 

“I have a small community, and in my faith it's not something that’s talked about. In my own experience I created space to be able to talk about it because it's a huge feeling. It's healing in the sense of remembering myself and my internal power that this is happening then I can stand into it. I'm trying to talk about it as much as I can.”

“For those with strong faith, there is often a sense that death ultimately carries us to God, which can remove some of the fear associated with it. If death occurs at what is considered a “timely” stage in life, it is viewed as a natural part of existence – and gratitude plays a role. However, despite this acceptance, open conversations about planning for death are not common.”