Death Cafe

Halloween, the time of year skeletons come out of the closet, ghosts roam the streets and death is a laughing matter. In fact, now, death cafes are popping up all over the country, allowing people to talk about a rather morbid topic openly and honestly, discussing what they fear, what they've seen and how to cope.

It may look like someone's having a party in their living room but more than often it's a funeral home turned, for the day, into a death cafe.

"People come with questions, they want resources, and they want to discuss maybe their own feelings about death and dying." Anita Larson, Death Cafe Moderator at Heflebower Funeral Services told Ivanhoe why people enjoy death cafes.

One Sunday a month people with at least one thing in common, interest in death, gather together for a philosophical discussion.

Larson told Ivanhoe, "People come here who aren't able to talk about death with their own family but are with strangers."

Ron Richards a Death Cafe attendee said, "It's so wonderful to see people talking about a subject that is difficult to talk about."

From leaving a legacy, to what happens after we die no subject is off limits. It's not therapy, or for the recently bereaved, it's a safe place to simply listen, and talk.

"You will see lots of laughter because there are funny stories people tell and there's humor in death and dying" Larson said.

The drinks, desserts and deathly discussions are free and you'll most likely go home with another gift.

Larson told Ivanhoe, "People feel educated by the discussion."

There are more than a thousand death cafes across Europe, North America and Asia. Some are focused on dealing with loss while others may deal with questions about the unknown. To find out if there is one in your area, log onto deathcafé.com.