Wakes and funerals are ceremonies to honor the dead. A wake is a time for visiting and commemorating the dead, while a funeral is a formal ceremony conducted by an officiant. Funeral customs vary around the world, and rules of conduct differ between wakes and funerals.
Wakes and funerals are both ceremonies held to honor the dead and appear in many different cultures. The key difference between a wake and a funeral is that a wake is a time for visiting and commemorating the dead whereas a funeral is a formal ceremony conducted by an officiant. In many cases, both a wake and funeral are held as part of a series of rituals that are meant to commemorate the passing of a dear family member, friend, and community member.
Traditionally, a wake is held the night before a funeral. Participants in the vigil stay awake all night with the body, which is arranged so that people can visit and spend time with the deceased. Historically, funerals were held the day after the death, to give people time to gather for the event, and the body was laid out at the home of the deceased or a family member, allowing community members to visit. Some cultures maintain this tradition, while others hold the wake at a funeral home, and in some cases, the body may not be present at all.
During a wake, people eat, exchange stories about the dead, sing traditional songs and laments, and support the family members of the deceased. Different cultures have different beliefs about wakefulness, but generally people stay up all night with the deceased as a sign of respect, although wakes can actually get quite raucous, especially in the wee hours of the morning. Sometimes a wake and funeral may be combined, with an officiant conducting the service the morning after the wake.
At a funeral, a religious or secular service is performed for the deceased. It is led by an officiant who may invite members of the public to speak about the deceased, and culturally important rituals may be conducted during the funeral. Usually, the event includes a request for mercy for the soul of the deceased and a celebration of the life of the deceased. After the funeral, the body may be buried, cremated, or otherwise disposed of, and in some cases, the funeral service is held at the grave site, allowing members of the funeral party to attend the burial.
Funeral customs around the world are quite varied. In Judaism, for example, the dead are traditionally buried before sunset on the day they die, and the death is followed by a period of mourning known as shiva, in which family members follow strict rules and welcome visitors into their homes. . In New Orleans, the famous jazz funeral is accompanied by a musical march through the city, while in other regions, people develop their own funeral customs and traditions. People who attend wakes, funerals, and other burial rituals in a culture other than their own may want to do some research so they know what to expect.
The rules of conduct during a wake and a funeral can also be significantly different. Wakes, also known as visitations, tend to be more informal and casual, with people coming and going to offer condolences and stories, while funerals tend to have stricter rules of conduct. In both cases, people tend to dress in sombre clothing and are sensitive to close friends and family of the deceased out of respect for their emotional state.
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