How long should mourning following the death of a parent last?

[lethargic_man]

A while ago I posted asking how long my readers thought a religious service should last, and was intrigued to get answers in a completely different range from my non-Jewish readers compared to my Jewish ones.

So now I'd like to run a different question past, in particular, my non-Jewish readers:

How long do you think one should deny oneself the pleasurable things in life—in particular, listening to music and attending parties—following the death of a parent? (It would be helpful, though not essential, if respondents could indicate whether they have been bereaved themselves.)

Again, I will post my own views at a subsequent date.

Comments

[iddewes]

I am grateful to not be in the position you are currently in, but my mother actually doesn't want us to mourn her at all when she dies - she wants us to have a big crazy party celebrating her life!