From the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. to the Shinto shrines of Japan, from altars on New York street corners to “virtual” candles on the Web — people find solace and healing in remembering those that have passed.

Regardless of how the expression is manifested—a humble shrine in a Vietnamese village or graffiti art in the Bronx—these symbolic memorials help us acknowledge, remember and heal.

Explore this photo gallery, a sampling of personal and public tributes that hold deep meaning and keep “remembrance alive.”