Visiting the Death Café

Death Cafés are springing up around the world — centers or gathering points for discussions about death.

Across the United States, sidewalk cafés are booming. Back in 1964, only about 30 such cafés existed in all of New York City. Fifty years later, the count is at 1,300 and climbing.

In 1971, a little place called Starbucks opened in Seattle. Perhaps you’ve heard of it. By 2015, there were more than 22,500 around the world, and in many cities they now sit on nearly every corner. People seem to enjoy iced coffee, handcrafted smoothies, pastries, sandwiches and free Wi-Fi in a relaxed and comfortable setting. Starbucks is huge, and so is café culture whether the café has a sidewalk option or not.

But how about the Death Café?

Not so huge.

Not so relaxed.

Not so comfortable.

The Death Café began in England only nine years ago. Although it sounds like a place for dying, it’s actually the opposite — it’s a place to make the most of your life through a greater awareness of death.

That’s surprising, isn’t it?...