Woman explains why she celebrates ‘grief day’ on anniversary of ‘freak accident’

A woman has revealed that she celebrates a “grief day” each year on the anniversary of the day that her life changed forever because of an accident.

Britt, 25, who goes by the username @myelasticheart on TikTok, described the tradition in a video posted in September, where she explained that she uses the anniversary to remember what she lost, but also to celebrate herself and her growth.

The 25-year-old TikToker then went on to explain that she acknowledges the day of the accident, which left her with incurable chronic pain and forced her to take a year off before college, because a lot of feelings surface each year and she uses it as an opportunity to grieve “the person that I used to be, the things I used to do, and the life I used to have”.

As for how she marks the anniversary of her accident, Britt told viewers that she celebrates her grief day by doing things that make her happy, such as dressing up, dancing on her rooftop, buying herself flowers and celebrating with “something sweet at the end of the day”.

“Celebrating my grief day allows me to honour the things that I lost in that terrible year and also beautiful things that, like flowers, have grown out of it,” Britt concluded.

The video, which has been viewed more than 17,000 times, has been met with an outpouring of supportive comments from viewers, with many expressing their support for the idea.

“I’m so proud of you for telling us about it. Spend grief day reflecting and know how many people love and support you when you step into tomorrow,” one person commented.

Another said: “Gorgeous dress. I FEEL this. Honouring your journey and your life.”

“This is so gorgeous and such a healthy thing to do. It’s so important to hold space for these feelings and to let yourself feel them,” someone else wrote.

Others revealed that Britt’s annual tradition had inspired them to celebrate grief days of their own, with another viewer commenting: “I’ve never heard of the idea of a grief day or other way to acknowledge when your life changed irrevocably. I want to create this ritual for myself.”

While speaking with In The Know about her grief day, Britt revealed that the idea had come to her during the year after her accident, when all of her friends were celebrating milestones.

“My friends were all celebrating finishing their first years of college or their new internships,” she said. “And it was a small way to acknowledge that, while I didn’t get to do any of those things, I went through a lot and just surviving that was an accomplishment.”

As for why she decided to call the day grief day, Britt, who revealed that she had tried other names such as the “start of my odyssey,” said she settled on the chosen title for the day because it “encapsulated the mourning I needed to let myself feel” while also capturing “the opportunity to celebrate that grief and the beautiful things that grew from it”.

The Independent has contacted Britt for comment.