Halloween kicks off a series of religious and cultural festivals to honor the dead, including All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day and the Day of the Dead. But deceased loved ones don’t disappear from people’s social worlds once the ghost and skeleton decorations come down.
Present in memory and tradition, the dead can shape people’s identities and behaviors long after they die. Recent survey data shows that almost 44% of Americans report that they have felt the presence of a deceased relative or that they have communicated with a deceased relative in the past year alone.
