End of Year Three!

It has been a while since I last wrote a blog, here at The Bucket Project we have been busy organising events for the Autumn season from introducing our new ‘Death du Jour’ session to planning a fabulous Day of the Dead celebration. The details of these events will be posted here and on social media closer to the time.

 

At long last, we would like to present our End of Year Three Project Report. You can find out exactly what we have been up to over 2013 and 2014, from a Halloween Death Café, to a jam packed Dying Matters Awareness Week in May. The report is now available on the ‘Downloads’ page of the blog and is an interesting read.

 

 

 

If you like what you see and would be interested in becoming a member of The Bucket Project, email amy.king@mariecurie.org.uk. We will keep you regularly updated with the latest planned events and news, so get involved and help keep the topic of death alive!

A Successful Second Death Cafe

As you may be aware, our second ever Death Café took place yesterday at the No. 8 Main Street Coffee café in Woolton. It was a great success and involved extremely interesting conversation, good company and wonderful refreshments.

 

A wonderful selection of refreshments at the Death Café

 

This was the first Death Café I had ever attended and I am pleased to announce that it involved truly thought-provoking conversation. The name may be off-putting to many people, but if you look past the vocabulary you may find it can be a freeing and fascinating experience. Topics discussed ranged from eating animals to what happens after we are gone, producing some very interesting and unusual ideas.

One thought that struck me throughout was that these conversations, some remarkably philosophical in nature, remind me of the type of exchanges had after an evening of inebriation (which we do not condone) and that it’s upsetting that we have to lower our inhibitions before we can discuss such important topics. In my opinion it was refreshing to talk about ideas with other like-minded people and some of their comments completely changed the way I think about things. One moment in particular was that of a small reading shared by one of the attendees from the Muriel Spark book ‘Memento Mori’, the end of the excerpt read:

 

‘[Death] should be part of the full expectancy of life.  Without an ever-present sense of death life is insipid. You might as well live on the whites of eggs’

I found the last sentence particularly profound, but I shall leave you to decide what your own thoughts are on this extract.

 

Listening to an impromptu excerpt reading

 

I would definitely recommend people try out a Death Café in your area, even if you are apprehensive at first, there is no pressure for you to speak and you are welcome to leave at any time. You might just be pleasantly surprised.

 

 

Some members mid-discussion

If you have suggestions for a future Death Café or would like to be involved in future events, do not hesitate to contact us at amy.king@mariecurie.org.uk or chat with us via Facebook and Twitter.

What is a ‘Death Café’?

Image from deathcafe.com

The name ‘Death Café’ can be off-putting to many people as talking about ‘death’ is an extremely taboo subject not only here in the UK but in a number of western capitalist countries across the world.

 

The Death Café is a global initiative developed by Jon Underwood in 2011, taking inspiration from Café Mortel in Switzerland created by sociologist Bernard Crettaz. It is a temporary event that provides a comfortable place to talk about topics relating to death and dying whilst eating nourishing nibbles and cakes which are served alongside tea and coffee (free at our Woolton Death Café).

Image from eatitdetroit.com

 

The image you first associate with this kind of event may be a group of people with a morbid fascination gathered around a table. However this couldn’t be further from the truth. A variety of people from different backgrounds and life experiences attend and discuss a wide range of topics that can be both inspirational and touching.

 

It may not be for everyone; however, it is obvious that there is a need for comfortable and safe spaces for people to talk about death, proven by the growing popularity of this initiative. It may not be easy talking about death and loss but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t. Death happens to everyone and is something we all have in common. A survey conducted by Dying Matters discovered that more than 70% of people are uncomfortable talking about death.

People talking at a Death Café in Portland, USA
(Image from komonews.com)

 

Talking about death doesn’t have to be morbid, it can make you think about how you want to live and what you want to achieve, helping to make the most out of our (finite) lives. Through breaking down the taboo surrounding death together we can be more prepared.

 

If you are interested in finding out more or would like to book a place in our upcoming Death Café on the 24th February, email me at amy.king@mariecurie.org.uk or chat to us on Facebook and Twitter.

If the Death Café isn't for you, email us and let us know ideas and events that you would be interested in.

 

Death Cafe Woolton

Due to the success of our last Death Café, we have decided to run our next one in the charming No. 8 – Main Street Coffee café, Woolton, L25 5JA on the 24th February 2014. We are very excited about our second event and are proud to be hosting it in such a welcoming and unique venue. It will be a comfortable place where we can have open and honest conversation about death.

As we have mentioned in a previous article, the Death Café is a global initiative stemming from the original Café Mortels in Switzerland, aiming to increase the awareness of death to help people make the most of their lives. There has been a tremendous response to Death Café’s across the country and worldwide, evidencing the need for a comfortable place for people to relax and openly discuss death.

Free Cupcakes at the Death Cafe!
(Image from eatitdetroit.com)

This event is completely free with complimentary sandwiches, cake, tea and interesting conversation! The Café will take place from 4-6pm and we invite you to join us for what will be an intriguing evening.

Book your place now and join the discussion by emailing amy.king@mariecurie.org.uk. We look forward to seeing you there!

In case you are not familiar with Woolton, here is a handy map to help you out:

No.8 - Main Street Coffee, Woolton, L25 5JA
(Google Maps)

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Origins of Halloween

This time of year has always had an air of mystery, magic and superstition; and ceremonies remembering the dead have been celebrated for thousands of years.

All Hallows' Eve is more commonly known as Halloween. It precedes All Hallows' Day, also known as All Saints' Day, on 1st November and All Souls Day on 2nd November. These dates hold a special significance across a variety of cultures throughout the world, as the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is thought to be at its thinnest.

Halloween originates from pagan celebrations connected to harvests and seasons. The Celts and Druids celebrated Samhain on November 1st but the celebrations started at sunset on the eve of Samhain. Come sunset on 31st October, families would extinguish fires within the home and indulge in a "fall" cleaning to make way for the new season. Samhain was a harvest festival that was celebrated at the end of summer and commemorated the cycles of life. People would then gather to light huge bonfires to burn crops and animal sacrifices to the gods, in the hope that the sun would return and their crops would be plentiful.

Christians would carve jack-o-lanterns out of turnips to remember souls trapped in purgatory. It was recorded in 1837 that American colonies used pumpkins as a replacement to the tough turnips that the British used. This is a tradition that still lasts today, but how many of us know why we carve them?

Even the tradition of "bobbing for apples" is connected to harvest time and superstition, much like the pumpkins and turnips we how carve for fun. Apples were thought to represent fertility and many believed they could help predict their future love.

Image by Kim Fearheiley www.fineartamerica.com

It is believed that the boundaries between the living and the dead are thinner on All Hallows' Eve. People would often disguise themselves with costumes to hide from malevolent spirits out to cause harm or to signify the release of souls trapped in the physical World.

Today, we tend to dress up for slightly more fun and commercial reasons, with children playing trick-or-treat for sweets or gifts. Have we forgotten the spiritual side to Halloween, or do we remember it in the traditions we still follow?

Since Halloween is the day when most people are discussing death, often in a fun way, we're planning our first Death Cafe at the Brink on 31st October from 5.30pm - 7.30pm. There'll be a free slice of cake, a hot beverage and interesting conversation.

Death Cafe Liverpool

Death Cafe - Halloween 2013

We are proud to announce that The Bucket Project will be hosting Liverpool's first Death Cafe at the Brink, Parr Street, L1 4JN on 31st October 2013.

The objective of a Death Cafe is to increase awareness of death, with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives. It is based on an idea thought up by Bernard Crettaz, a Swiss sociologist who set up Cafe Mortels. His idea has since spread across the globe, evidencing a very real need for a place and opportunity for people to open up and talk about death. 

We will provide a comfortable place to relax and talk, with a hot beverage and a slice of cake. Our Death Cafe takes place at the Brink, which is Liverpool's first "dry pub." The Brink are known for their creative, community approach and put on a wide range of amusing, entertaining, educational and inspirational events - with the Death Cafe being just one of them!

The Brink, Parr Street, L1 4JN

Death Cafe is now an established social franchise that has reached over 3000 participants in around 300 separate Death Cafes all over the world. They are purely run on a voluntary basis by Jon Underwood in East London. He organised the first one in the UK, facilitated by his mum, psychotherapist Sue Barsky Reid, in his own home. It was hugely successful and has grown massively since 2011. You can find more information on Death Cafes by clicking here or have a look at our very own Death Cafe Liverpool page.

Feedback from previous Death Cafes have stated that the experience was "enriching" and "as far from gloom and doom as could be possible." We're hoping to replicate this in Liverpool on Halloween 2013. You can drop in any time from 5.30-7.30pm, but we would suggest arriving at the start to benefit from the whole experience. There will be free hot drinks, a slice of cake and a warm welcome. It's not often you get the opportunity to sit down and have an open conversation about death with other people who want to do the same.

Free cake at our Death Cafe!

So, if you haven't already, you should start making your plans for Halloween 2013. If you're interested in coming along to our Death Cafe and taking part in a global initiative, please email: rachael.mckindley@mariecurie.org.uk. Fancy dress is optional, but encouraged, since we're celebrating All Hallow's Eve, and there may be a prize for the best dressed! It's all free and you'll be among the first to participate in Liverpool's first Death Cafe. So pop in for a cuppa, cake and conversation.

Thank you to Ryan Spence at Five Mil Bleed for producing our Death Cafe Liverpool poster and to Terry McKindley for helping to get the creative juices flowing in the design process.