A new random thread

[Sionnach Glic]

You guys don't? I'm honestly not sure how wakes in the US go, but over here it mostly consists of all the friends and relatives of the recently departed invading the nearest pub and having a good, if somewhat sombre, time. There's drinking, food (though not always), amusing stories, reminiscing, and a (relatively speaking, for a funeral) light atmosphere.

How's it done in the US?

[Reliant121]

Same with us. We had endless amusement at great auntie Irene that literally ate the entire table of prepared foods on her own.

She weighs 45kg.

[Mikey]

I'm no expert, as Jewish funeral practice usually involves getting the stiff into the ground as soon as possible - as Jewish funeral practice categorically doesn't involve embalming. Catholic wakes over here usually consist of visiting the casket, saying a random Our Father, Hail Mary, and/or a couple of rosaries; a bit of a eulogy or two; and then a repast at a local restaurant or the home of the bereaved. Certainly, some of them include drinking, and the wake of an Irish-American friend of the family also included a local pipe-and-drum band.

A past boss of mine, descended from the Dublin Shaws, as once in Dublin for a wake - he was a surprised to see as I was to hear about the practice of standing the casket of the guest of honor up against the wall and putting a cup of puithuin(sp.?) in the deceased's hand.

[Sionnach Glic]

I must admit that I've not seen recently deceased himself being given a drink. Though funeral practices in Dublin itself tend to vary quite a bit in how it proceeds, so I wouldn't doubt it.

If you don't mind me asking, how do Jewish funerals usually proceed? Is there a wake, mass, post-funeral drinking session, etc? Personaly, I'd always just sort of assumed they were quite similar to Catholic funerals.

[Lt. Staplic]

With my family (I won't generalize this to Catholics in general, but that is the standard from which this comes) there is usually a visitation (I assume it's the same thing as a wake, never called it that though) where people will come to see the deceased and pay their respects, this is often done the night before the funeral, not sure why. Usually the next morning there is a mass in a church followed by the procession out to the cemetery and the ceremony there (although I've also seen the 'mass' held at the funeral home the visitation was with my Dad's family who is Methodist, I say 'mass' because it wasn't a traditional mass in any sense of the word). After the Funeral there is usually a reception done at the deceased's house or other family location in the event they weren't living in a house at the time or didn't have a house large enough to accommodate the expected occupancy. The visitation, mass, and funeral all tend to be fairly ceremonial and the atmosphere quite somber (as would be expected) the reception is a bit more light-hearted. There is no ceremony or anything, just people talking about the deceased over food.

[Captain Seafort]

With my family (I won't generalize this to Catholics in general, but that is the standard from which this comes) there is usually a visitation (I assume it's the same thing as a wake, never called it that though) where people will come to see the deceased and pay their respects, this is often done the night before the funeral, not sure why.

Not at all the same - a wake is simply a fancy name for a piss-up (albeit not the most cheerful of piss-ups).

Usually the next morning there is a mass in a church...

No vigil service?

[Lt. Staplic]

With my family (I won't generalize this to Catholics in general, but that is the standard from which this comes) there is usually a visitation (I assume it's the same thing as a wake, never called it that though) where people will come to see the deceased and pay their respects, this is often done the night before the funeral, not sure why.

Not at all the same - a wake is simply a fancy name for a piss-up (albeit not the most cheerful of piss-ups).

Usually the next morning there is a mass in a church...

No vigil service?

the Visitation is basically a Vigil Service. the Vigil Service is at the end of the Visitation usually.

[Sionnach Glic]

Not at all the same - a wake is simply a fancy name for a piss-up (albeit not the most cheerful of piss-ups).

"Wake" is just a somewhat nicer way of saying "funeral party".

[Lt. Staplic]

Not at all the same - a wake is simply a fancy name for a piss-up (albeit not the most cheerful of piss-ups).

"Wake" is just a somewhat nicer way of saying "funeral party".

I guess Wake = Reception for me then.

[Captain Seafort]

the Visitation is basically a Vigil Service. the Vigil Service is at the end of the Visitation usually.

Fair enough - in my experience the visitation is held in the chapel of rest before the lid gets put on, the vigil service later that evening, when the deceased is taken into church.

[Lt. Staplic]

the Visitation is basically a Vigil Service. the Vigil Service is at the end of the Visitation usually.

Fair enough - in my experience the visitation is held in the chapel of rest before the lid gets put on, the vigil service later that evening, when the deceased is taken into church.

ah.....FWIW as I recall usually the deceased stays the night at the funeral home the night before the ceremony, since it's the funeral home that provides the Hurst. The next morning before the church service the paulbearers bring the casket to the church, then back out again afterwords.

[Captain Seafort]

ah.....FWIW as I recall usually the deceased stays the night at the funeral home the night before the ceremony, since it's the funeral home that provides the Hurst. The next morning before the church service the paulbearers bring the casket to the church, then back out again afterwords.

The process as I know it is the visitation in the chapel of rest, taking the deceased to church the night before by hearse, carrying them in and the vigil service (by the end of which you'll be saying Hail Marys in your sleep), leaving them in church overnight, the service the next morning, carry them out and load into the hearse for the trip to the cemetery (or not, if the burial is in the churchyard), then the graveside service, then the wake.

[Lt. Staplic]

ah.....FWIW as I recall usually the deceased stays the night at the funeral home the night before the ceremony, since it's the funeral home that provides the Hurst. The next morning before the church service the paulbearers bring the casket to the church, then back out again afterwords.

The process as I know it is the visitation in the chapel of rest, taking the deceased to church the night before by hearse, carrying them in and the vigil service (by the end of which you'll be saying Hail Marys in your sleep), leaving them in church overnight, the service the next morning, carry them out and load into the hearse for the trip to the cemetery (or not, if the burial is in the churchyard), then the graveside service, then the wake.

That sounds accurate for what I remember other than taking the deceased to the church and leaving them there overnight. idk why, maybe it's just our church, but I don't know of anyone that stays over in the Church.

[Captain Seafort]

That sounds accurate for what I remember other than taking the deceased to the church and leaving them there overnight. idk why, maybe it's just our church, but I don't know of anyone that stays over in the Church.

It might be an Irish, or Liverpool, thing.

[Reliant121]

Never had a Catholic relative in living history so i cant really comment on that.