The Timing of Death: Holidays and Gender
Many studies have examined whether the timing of death is, to some extent, under executive control. Skala and Freedland (2004) provide a review of some of these. Not included in this review is Anson and Anson (1997), who examined mortality patterns in Muslim communities in relationship to holidays. They suggest that observed differences in mortality by gender (for example, more women dying in the month of Ramadan than in the month previous) may be related to "different roles in the preparation and celebration of the holy day rites".
The work of Davis P. Phillips is especially controversial. Phillips et al (2004) do not report sex differences in cardiac mortality around Christmas, although they do report that there is a spike in mortality around the Christmas/New Year's time frame. On the other hand, Phillips and King (1988) reported a decrease in mortality in Jewish males just before and during the holiday of Passover, but Lee and Smith (2000) find no such pattern. Phillips and Smith (1990) suggest that Asian-American women are able to postpone death at the time of the Harvest Moon Festival, but Smith (2004) makes a good argument that this research is flawed as well.
We sometimes wondered if my grandmother was holding on for "one more Christmas" or "one more birthday". She was diagnosed with liver cancer, and only given 6-18 months to live, but survived nearly 5 years. Every time there was a gifting holiday, all her children and grandchildren worked especially hard to impress her, assuming that it would be the last gift they'd ever give her. In moods of morbid humor, we'd quietly joke that she'd keep hanging on as long as we kept the loot coming.
There will be no post on Monday.
An additional note to the post on gender differences in present buying: Lacher et al (1995, pdf) notes that men tend to prefer buying gifts that are practical, while women prefer buying sentimental gifts.
The work of Davis P. Phillips is especially controversial. Phillips et al (2004) do not report sex differences in cardiac mortality around Christmas, although they do report that there is a spike in mortality around the Christmas/New Year's time frame. On the other hand, Phillips and King (1988) reported a decrease in mortality in Jewish males just before and during the holiday of Passover, but Lee and Smith (2000) find no such pattern. Phillips and Smith (1990) suggest that Asian-American women are able to postpone death at the time of the Harvest Moon Festival, but Smith (2004) makes a good argument that this research is flawed as well.
We sometimes wondered if my grandmother was holding on for "one more Christmas" or "one more birthday". She was diagnosed with liver cancer, and only given 6-18 months to live, but survived nearly 5 years. Every time there was a gifting holiday, all her children and grandchildren worked especially hard to impress her, assuming that it would be the last gift they'd ever give her. In moods of morbid humor, we'd quietly joke that she'd keep hanging on as long as we kept the loot coming.
There will be no post on Monday.
An additional note to the post on gender differences in present buying: Lacher et al (1995, pdf) notes that men tend to prefer buying gifts that are practical, while women prefer buying sentimental gifts.