While the holiday season brings many people joy, it's a stressful time for those mourning the loss of loved ones. But families can keep precious memories alive and celebrate with Christmas Eve luminarias, according to death educator Gail Rubin, CT.

"In the American Southwest, there's a tradition of visiting the graves of loved ones on Christmas Eve," explained Rubin. "In Catholic cemeteries, the night of December 24 is the busiest time of the year for visitors, rivaling even Memorial Day."

Graves are decorated with lights of varying types. The most simple and beautiful lights are luminarias, created with lunch sack-sized paper bags and sand weighting the bottom, holding a single votive candle. When hundreds of graves are lined with thousands of luminarias, the result is a peaceful, glowing field of love.

After visiting the cemetery and remembering loved ones no longer here on earth, favorite foods to feast upon at home include tamales, posole, biscochitos, and red or green chile stews. Some people will even bring food to the cemetery to eat and drink while visiting loved ones' graves.

"Catholic cemeteries in other parts of the country don't experience the kind of traffic that Southwestern Hispanic families bring on Christmas Eve. If setting up a display in your local cemetery would cause an issue in your area of the country, bring this celebration home. Consider adding a luminaria display in your yard to honor and remember loved ones who have died," suggests Rubin.

Rubin posted this Mortality Minute video to help educate people around the country about this heartwarming Hispanic Southwestern tradition.