Delta Hospice's annual Celebration of Life event has become a meaningful holiday season tradition in Delta.
December can be one of the most difficult months of the year for those who are grieving the death of someone who was important to them.
For the past 20 years, the Delta Hospice Society has displayed a Celebration of Life Tree for the community to honour and remember the life of someone who has died.
People are invited to write a person's name and message on a decorative tribute card and place it on the Celebration of Life Tree. Another card may be taken home as a memento.
This tradition of placing a card on the tree becomes symbolic of the love and memories that we carry in our heart and helps us to remember the experiences we share or have shared.
"We invite the community to visit the Celebration of Life Tree at the Harold & Veronica Savage Centre for Supportive Care," says Delta Hospice Society executive director Nancy Macey.
"This is such a sensitive time for many families and we recognize the importance of this ritual as a way of remembering. Understanding volunteers will be present to share memories and stories."
Throughout December, the Celebration of Life Tree fills up with hundreds of tribute cards, and stories are exchanged between families and volunteers. Information about how to survive the holidays and how to go on living with grief will be available.
The Celebration of Life Tree will be up from Dec. 3 to 21. The centre (across from the Ladner Leisure Centre) welcomes visitors to the tree from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Donations are always appreciated but not required.
The tree will be up until the first week in January so family and friends can visit it over the holiday season.
For more information, call 604-948-0660 or visit www.deltahospice.org.
