*2.3. The Hospice as a Liminal Space*

The dying process can be described as a rite of passage, a type of ritual that accompanies major life transitions. According to the rite of passage theory (Van Gennep 1960; Turner 1969), life transitions take place in a structured way and contain culture-specific values of the group, community or society that performs and witnesses the rite. During the rite of passage, separation takes place from former roles and identities and a person enters a state of liminality, a concept that we derive from Victor Turner who coined this quite complex concept as follows: "Liminal entities are neither here nor there; they are betwixt and between the positions assigned arrayed by law, custom, convention, and ceremonial." (Turner 1969, p. 95). This 'in-betweenness' is what happens when a person enters the palliative terminal phase of life, which is expressed and marked by all kinds of ritual acts. A liminal state is a state in which former roles and identities are (partially) abandoned and the new state is not in place yet. This liminal state allows for creativity and for situations to occur that otherwise would not be possible or appropriate (Thomassen 2016; Horváth et al. 2015). The relationships that are formed between the people involved, in this case the patients, family members and hospice staff, provide a base for transformation (Grimes 2014). In the context of the hospice, the physical transition to the hospice facility further intensifies the state of liminality. From their familiar environment, people now enter an unfamiliar physical place that is different and providing a break from the ordinary.
