Christmas is just a few weeks away, and preparations for big celebration are in full swing. But as people up and down the country plan their food shops, buy presents and make plans for the day, the festive period may also bring up difficult feelings for those who have lost a loved one this year.
For Lena Patel, 40, last Christmas was her first without her mother, who died from ovarian cancer in February 2021. Patel and her children planned to carry on some of the traditions her mother would take part in every year. They bought roasted chestnuts, which her mother ate at this time of year, and lit a candle every day from Christmas until the new year because she loved all the different scents.
