Ancestors all around—millions of dead people linger in Americans' memories
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.
Halloween brings to light the millions of deceased relatives that linger in Americans' memories. Though the dead depart physically, their presence endures in family traditions and personal stories. A recent study reveals that nearly 44% of Americans feel the presence of a deceased loved one annually. Researchers, typically focused on the living, have now estimated the size and age distribution of the deceased among the living population.
Deceased relatives, such as grandparents, parents, siblings, spouses, and children, maintain significant ties to the living. Using a demographic microsimulation model, the study found that 755 million ties to deceased relatives exist among 217 million living Black and white Americans. This figure is more than three times the size of the living population.
On average, these deceased relatives have been remembered for 25 years, indicating that the bonds with them persist for decades after their passing. Over half of the deceased population was born over a century ago, with 140,000 born before the Civil War. These figures demonstrate the enduring connections across generations, despite the fact that they are not represented in the census.
Thus, the deceased relative population forms a substantial shadow aspect of our social world, encompassing relationships deeply personal to many Americans.
Written by urgent.news from Phys.org's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Ancestors all around – millions of dead people linger in Americans’ memories theconversation.com
