Why do they call it a "WAKE: when you're having a funeral?

Answer 1

A wake is a ceremony associated with death.

Traditionally a wake took place in the house of the deceased, with the body present. However, modern wakes are often performed at a funeral home.

The tradition stems historically from an ancient tradition of watching over the deceased's body in the hope that life might return and the term in many places is now synonymous with viewing or funeral visitation. The purpose of the wake has evolved so that now it has become a time for friends and loved ones of the deceased to gather and to console the immediate family prior to the funeral. In Australia and New Zealand, the wake commonly happens after the funeral service in the absence of the body and is often "wet" -- which is to say alcohol is served and as a result the wake often resembles a party for the deceased as well as being of comfort for their family. In this way it follows the model of the traditional Irish wake although there is a long tradition of feasting and celebration connected with funeral service amongst the Māori of New Zealand that predates European settlement.

Contents [hide]
1 Irish wakes
2 American Wakes
3 Icelandic Wakes
4 External links



[edit]
Irish wakes
In Ireland, the traditional Catholic wake is still carried out in some areas, particularly rural Ireland. Soon after the death, word of mouth will spread the news and neighbours, relatives and friends will attend the house as soon as they hear. Neighbours help in preparing food and tea as well as alcoholic beverages. The corpse will normally be dressed in white linen and laid out in their own bed. Candles are usually lit and the corpse is never left alone.

The "Irish Wake" is a traditional mourning custom practiced in Ireland. An integral part of the grieving process for family, friends, and neighbors of the deceased, Irish wakes are occasions that mix gaiety and sadness. The custom is a celebration of the life that had passed, but the tone of the wake depended largely on the circumstances of the death.

A wake usually began at the time of death and lasted until the family left with the body for the funeral service. If a death occurred in the evening, the wake was not held until the following night to allow mourners to travel and prepare for the services.

Preparations for the wake began soon after death. All clocks in the house were stopped as a sign of respect, and women gathered to bathe and dress the body. The deceased often wore white garments, and if a man died, his face was shaved clean before being dressed. The body was then lain out for viewing on a table or bed, and was not left unattended until the burial. All mirrors in the household were also removed or turned around.

Immediately after they prepare the body, the women begin keening. See Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire. This vocal lamentation is a display of mourning and sounds a bit like wailing to those who are not accustomed to it. Superstition holds that keening must not begin until after the body is prepared, or evil spirits will surround the wake and body.

Devout Irish Catholics integrated many religious traditions into the wake. A rosary is placed in the hands of the deceased, and each mourner kneels beside the body and says a prayer. The entire rosary is said at least once during the wake, commonly at midnight. The prayers are usually led by a leader in the community, and the entire group of mourners supply the responses.

The Irish also celebrated the life of the deceased, and shared food and drink throughout the wake. Music, dancing, and physical games made the wake feel more like a party. The Catholic church has tried numerous times (unsuccessfully) throughout history to abolish the consumption of alcohol at wakes. Though it is a time of sadness, the presence of friends and family makes it more bearable and there is generally great joviality as the deceased is fondly remembered; indeed, there is tradition in some parts of the country to play a game of cards and include a hand for the deceased.

Friends will stay with the corpse throughout the night. A rosary is said during the day and a Mass may also be said in the house. Usually, the wake will last until the next afternoon, though occasionally (especially if it was an unexpected death or it was late in the evening and too late to arrange the funeral) it may last a second night.

The afternoon after the wake, the undertaker will place the corpse in a coffin or casket and take it to the funeral home. As this represents the deceased leaving home for the last time; it is often one of the saddest moments. A removal will take place when people who may not have been to the house will attend and commiserate before the casket is closed for the last time. The body rests overnight in a church before burial after a Mass the following day.

Though many of these customs have faded away in modern Ireland, some are still practiced, particularly the laying out of the body in the house before burial. This is rare, however, in the main cities and towns and a declining practice even in rural areas. It is strongest in the northern part of Ireland.

The Irish wake, in the sense of celebrating at a death, originated with the ancient celts. In their belief system, once someone died in this world they moved on to the afterlife, which was a better world, and thus cause for celebration. Conversely, a birth was a time for sadness as it meant someone had died in the other world.

[edit]
American Wakes
Similar parties were thrown in Ireland when a loved one left the country. These became known as "American wakes" in the mid-19th century as Irish immigration to the United States increased. Many emigrants would never see their Irish neighbors and friends again, and a send off party was thrown that included the same mix of gaiety and sadness found in an Irish wake.

[edit]
Icelandic Wakes
In Iceland the wake ceremony is called kistulagning. It is a small funeral service held for the closest family members and friends. It takes up to 30 minutes and is usually held in a small funeral chapel which is called a kapella.

Though Nordic in most terms of culture, the Icelandic wake is similar to the Viking tradition in name only. Most Nordic deceased were sent to sea on small boats, while the wealthier men were buried inside their treasued warships. Instead of watching them drift out to sea, the Vikings would typically hold a day of observation of the gravesite while telling stories of the deceased. This tradition would commonly be referred to as the observation of the proverbial "wake" left behind by the dead, and most likely is the namesake for most Western wakes, which were typically called "waking."

[edit]
External links
History of Funeral Customs
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wake_%28ceremony%29"
Category: Death customs

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Answer 2

Its an Irish Term circa 1400. A Wakeman is another word for a watchman. The Wake is a watch over the deceased - typically at night time or in the evening. Traditional wakes dont happen in daylight. And so a wake is a watch...over the dead in the night.

Answer 3

A wake is not a full funeral service. People come pay their respects to the family view the body and say pray or two. The funeral is when you have a full service singing and all.

Answer 4

A WAKE is to...keep watch over or guard, especially over a corpse before burial. This is most likely why it is called a WAKE.
Regional note...Northern dialects seem to favor verb forms that change the internal vowel-hence -dove-for the past tense of dive, and woke for wake.
Southern dialects tend to add an ed, hence dived and waked.

Answer 5

The funereal "wake" is a vigil, or a watch over the dead person.

The Old English word for watch is "wacu", which may derive from Norse "vaka".

Answer 6

I think it means the aftermath of the death, like in the wake of the person passing.

Answer 7

Because people have been buried alive.The different stories are irrelevant,but have to do w/ unconscious people being taken for dead and buried.The "wake" is an opportunity for the deceased to awaken if possible,or to assure they are dead.

Answer 8

It's because you get awakened to the life's ultimate reality -The Letting Go of Physical Body. And so, you introspect your life deeply each time you encounter death of somebody close to you.

Answer 9

Maybe because it's in the wake of the death, meaning following the death. ... I don't know.

Answer 10

because everyone else is awake....idk