With daily coronavirus death counts the norm in 2020, the world became accustomed to thinking about death on a regular basis. In Germany, which has a historically gloomy relationship with death, this has led to a big cultural shift, inspiring people to confront and personalise death rituals.

Morticians are taking to TikTok to shed light on the truths around end-of-life rituals. With COVID-19 turning uncomfortable conversations about mortality into an everyday reality, these tutorials and industry Q&As are meeting a growing desire to de-stigmatize death chat.

It has been said that nothing is certain in life, except death and taxes. Although the latter is regularly being reviewed and updated, the former retains its sombre Victorian-era elements. Exit Here is shaking up the industry to modernise rituals and ceremonies around death, dying, and grief.

Why are young people blending age-old herbal treatments with Western wellness? Who’s most likely to pay with digital yuan? And what challenges do ‘leftover women’ face? This Cultural Snapshot uses local stats and case studies to explore the behavioural norms shared by Chinese people in 2020.