What Is Death Literacy, and Why Does It Matter?

Death is Universal

We live in a culture that often avoids talking about death. Euphemisms soften it, medical systems manage it, and too often, families are left unprepared when death touches their lives. Yet death is universal, and so too should be our ability to understand, navigate, and engage with it. This is where death literacy comes in.

Defining Death Literacy

The term “death literacy” was first developed by Associate Professor Debbie Horsfall and colleagues (2017) as part of community-based research into end-of-life care. They describe it as the knowledge and skills that people and communities need to access, understand, and act on end-of-life and death care options.

It is more than facts or paperwork. Death literacy is:
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• Practical knowledge: understanding care options, funeral choices, legal rights, and available resources.
• Emotional literacy: finding language to talk about loss and creating space for meaningful conversations.
• Community wisdom: drawing on traditions, rituals, and cultural practices that connect people across generations.

Just as literacy in reading and writing is not only about the individual but also about how whole societies function, death literacy is best understood as a collective skill.

Why We Need It

Historian Philippe Ariès (1974) described Western culture as shifting from a time when death was communal and familiar, to one where it has become hidden, professionalised, and sanitised. Tony Walter (1994) has similarly shown how modern societies struggle with grief because the rituals and shared practices that once guided us have weakened.

The result is that many people feel disempowered at the very moment they most need confidence and clarity. Decisions are often made quickly, by default, or under pressure, with little opportunity to reflect on what feels right.

When death literacy is low, we rely heavily on institutions and professionals. When it is strong, families and communities can:
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• Plan ahead, easing stress at the time of death.
• Express wishes and values clearly, and have them respected.
• Support one another in grief, without always outsourcing care.
• Explore sustainable, family-led, and culturally grounded options.

Avoiding the Word “Death”

One clear marker of low death literacy is our language. We often say someone has “passed away” or “gone to a better place,” instead of simply naming death. While euphemisms can feel gentle, they can also reinforce avoidance. If we cannot name death, how can we learn to live with it?

I’ve written a whole blog on this very topic, the way our discomfort with the word “death” shapes our conversations, rituals, and choices. Read my blog here. It is part of a broader cultural pattern: we avoid the subject, and in doing so, we deny ourselves the opportunity to prepare.

Building Death Literacy Together

Death literacy is not learned from a single book or workshop. It grows through lived experience, sharing stories, and having the conversations we often try to avoid. Some ways to build it include:
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• Talking openly with friends and family about wishes, values, and fears.
• Learning about end-of-life care, funerals, and memorial options.
• Participating in initiatives such as Dying to Know Day, death cafés, or community workshops.
• Exploring ritual and meaning through culture, creativity, or personal ceremony.

As an Independent Funeral Celebrant, I aim to support this collective learning through:
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• Workshops on end-of-life planning where people can explore their values and document their wishes.
• Death Cafés and community conversations that create space for honesty and connection.
• Hands-on activities like coffin or shroud decorating, ritual creation, and sustainable death care practices.
• Ceremony and ritual design that reflects the individuality of each person and the community around them.

I don’t have events scheduled right now, but if you’d like to see one in your community, I’d love to hear from you. Together we can create spaces where these important conversations can happen. Please contact me here.

A Public Health Issue

Allan Kellehear (2005) has argued that dying, death, and loss are not just medical matters, but public health issues. Just as we promote literacy in nutrition or exercise, we need to build literacy in death, because it affects every one of us.

Communities with strong death literacy are more resilient. They know how to support people at the end of life, how to grieve together, and how to honour their dead in ways that feel meaningful. This is not only healthier for individuals, it is healthier for society.

A Collective Skill

Just as talking about sex won’t make you pregnant, talking about death won’t kill you. But silence can leave us completely unprepared. A little honesty goes a long way, it gives us room to prepare, to shape endings that feel right, and to build communities that know how to carry one another.

I’d love to know what death literacy means to you. What have you learned, or what do you wish more people talked about? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

I’m here to help and will respond to every comment.

References
1. Horsfall, D., Noonan, K., & Leonard, R. (2017). Death literacy: A conceptual framework for enhancing end-of-life care.
2. Leonard, R., Noonan, K., Horsfall, D., Kelly, M., Rosenberg, J., Rumbold, B., et al. (2019). Death Literacy Index: A report on its development and implementation. Western Sydney University.
3. Ariès, P. (1974). Western attitudes toward death: From the Middle Ages to the present. Johns Hopkins University Press.
4. Walter, T. (1994). The revival of death. Routledge.
5. The Groundswell Project. (2023). Dying to Know Day. The Groundswell Project Australia. 
6. Death Cafe Website
7. The Role of Ritual and the Power of Symbolism
8. Kellehear, A. (2005). Health-promoting palliative care: Developing a social model for practice. Routledge