Interest in Death Cafes has been low

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2014

Death Cafes are the latest twist to New Zealand’s cafe culture.

However, interest in Tauranga’s Death Cafes has been disappointingly low says chairwoman, of the Tauranga’s Voluntary Euthanasia Society and rest home nurse Tess Nesdale.

The society hosted its first Death Cafe in April at the Grindz Cafe, but with such low interest the society plans to review how to boost their popularity before holding more.

“I’m trying to get people to understand that death is a good thing and a peaceful thing,” says Nesdale, who believes attitudes to death affect how we die, whether we fight for a last breath or go with the flow.

In recent months, regular meetings to discuss death over coffee and cake have popped up in Auckland, Tauranga and Wellington.

“People are dying to talk about it,” deadpans Wellington’s Death Cafe facilitator, Sophia Tara. But, she adds seriously, death is one of the Western world’s top fears, alongside public speaking.

But many attendees at her monthly meetings at Trinity Unity Church in Newtown relish the chance to talk about a taboo subject.

“Fascinating to be part of an open forum for the beautiful aspect of life . . . inspired and thought-provoking,” one attendee wrote. “Death needs to come out of the shadows,” added another.
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