March 19
Glynn LunneyGlynn Lunney(2021)· NASA engineer (1936–2021)✦William Whitfield (architect)(2019)· British architect (1920–2019)✦Roger AgnelliRoger Agnelli(2016)✦Jack MansellJack Mansell(2016)· English football player and manager (1927–2016)✦Gus DouglassGus Douglass(2015)· American politician (1927–2015)✦Safet PlakaloSafet Plakalo(2015)· Bosnian writer (1950–2015)✦Danny SchechterDanny Schechter(2015)· American television producer, independent filmmaker, blogger, and media critic✦Patrick Joseph McGovernPatrick Joseph McGovern(2014)· Billionaire businessman and entrepreneur✦

GLOBAL OBSERVANCES

DEATH FESTIVAL CALENDAR

Every culture on earth has found a way to honor the dead. Here are 30+ of the most significant death festivals, memorial days, and funerary traditions from around the world.

1 FESTIVAL IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS
🌿

Qingming Festival

16d away

China's 'Tomb Sweeping Day' — families visit ancestral graves to clean them, make offerings of food and paper goods, and honor the dead.

Chinese · China, Taiwan, Southeast AsiaApril 4
🔥

Walpurgis Night

42d away

The eve of May 1st — a Germanic/Nordic festival when witches and spirits were said to gather on mountaintops. Bonfires ward off evil and the dead.

Germanic / Nordic · Germany, Sweden, Finland, Czech RepublicApril 30
🏛️

Lemuria (Ancient Roman)

51d away

An ancient Roman festival to appease the restless spirits of the dead (lemures), involving midnight rituals, black beans, and the banging of bronze pots.

Ancient Roman · Italy (historical)May 9–11
🇺🇸

Memorial Day

68d away

A US federal holiday honoring military personnel who died in service, marked by cemetery visits, flag ceremonies, and the National Moment of Remembrance.

American · United StatesMay 26

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