Wake (ceremony)

A wake or visitation is a social gathering associated with death, held before a funeral. Traditionally, a wake involves family and friends keeping watch over the body of the dead person, usually in the home of the deceased. Some wakes are held at a funeral home or another convenient location. The wake or the viewing of the body is a part of death rituals in many cultures. It allows one last interaction with the dead, providing a time for the living to express their thoughts and feelings with the deceased. It highlights the idea that the loss is borne by the whole community and is a way of honoring the deceased member. The emotional tone of a wake is sometimes seen as more positive than a funeral due to the socially supportive atmosphere and the focus on the life rather than the death of the deceased.

Origin

The term originally referred to a late-night prayer vigil but is now mostly used for the social interactions accompanying a funeral. While the modern sense of the verb wake is "to cease sleeping", it earlier meant "to remain awake, to keep watch". It is a misconception that people at a wake are waiting in case the deceased should "wake up". The term wake was originally used to denote a prayer vigil, often an annual event held on the feast day of the saint to whom a parish church was dedicated. Over time the association with prayer has become less important, although not lost completely, and in many countries a wake is now mostly associated with the social interactions accompanying a funeral. == Ireland ==

Ireland

marking the site of the wake of the writer Charles Kickham. The wake () is a key part of the death customs of Ireland; it is an important phase in the separation of the dead from the world of the living and transition to the world of the dead. Typically lasting one or two days, it is a continuous watch kept over the dead by family and friends, usually in their own home, before burial. Shortly after death, the body is usually prepared and placed in a coffin at a funeral home, then brought to the dead person's home for the wake, which is now referred to as the 'wake house'. Historically, the body was usually washed, groomed and clothed in a white shroud at their own home by local wise women. The death wail, keening, and the rowdier 'wake games' gradually died out in the late 19th century, due to condemnation from church authorities. == Wales ==

Wales

Historically, there was a custom in Wales to store the coffin in the home until the funeral. Friends and neighbours would volunteer for the ritual of ('watching the body'). The wake, known as was held the night preceding the funeral and was a time of merriment. == Other modern wakes ==

Other modern wakes

Wake customs similar to those of Ireland are still found in North-western Scotland and in Northern England. Noting the crowd, the emotion, and alcohol, Tom Watson, writing in Forbes, said of The Concert for New York City, "The Garden was the biggest Irish wake in history." == See also ==

Source: Wikipedia ↗

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