You may feel your loss anew each time their birthday comes for many years. Your own birthday may seem different. You may wonder why you are still alive and they are not and it will be difficult to celebrate your own life for a while. For those who have lost an older sibling, the year when you pass your sibling's age at the time of death, can be incredibly stressful. It is an odd feeling to outlive your older sibling.
Many people find a sanctuary by creating a ritual with which to celebrate the deceased's birthday.
Anniversaries - Some people find that they may do well for an entire year only to find themselves virtually incapacitated by grief during the days surrounding the anniversary of the death. You wake up one morning with a heavy feeling, not knowing exactly why you feel so burdened. Then it hits you the anniversary of one or another dates you shared with the deceased in the past. On the anniversary of the day of death, many grievers report a short-term depression. It's not uncommon to experience discomfort, sadness and depression for a couple weeks before and after the date of death, each year.