People Often See Signs From Departed Loved Ones During the Veļu Season

In autumn, as nature gradually falls quiet and the days shorten and evenings darken, Latvia enters Veļu laiks, the season of the departed. In Latvian folk tradition it is a period when people especially remember those who have died. On 1 November the newspaper Latvijas Avīze published a feature on the signs that people tend to regard as messages from deceased loved ones. The topic remains relevant because beliefs about the presence of the dead are still alive.

An old belief

In the past, people believed that during this season the boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead grows thinner. The spirits of departed relatives were thought able to return to visit their own families.

Experiences today

Even now, there are people who tell of strange coincidences, vivid dreams or inexplicable feelings that arose while thinking about a late relative. Some see these as chance. Others are convinced that the departed are trying to remind them of their presence.

What science says

There is no scientific evidence that loved ones can send signs from the afterlife. Even so, similar motifs appear again and again in folk beliefs and in personal accounts. The feature lists six signs that people tend to associate with the presence of departed loved ones.