An “Irish Wake” refers to traditional Irish Funerary customs, some of which are still practiced to this day, though with modern funeral customs taking over, the traditional Irish Wake seems to be falling out of favor.
Traditional Irish Wakes are noted for mixing gaiety and grieving – mourning and celebration.
Just after the passing of a loved one, a window is opened so the soul of the deceased can leave. It is bad luck to stand in the path between the body and open window, as it is thought to impede the progress of the soul to heaven.
All clocks in the home are stopped at the time of death and mirrors are covered, turned around or removed as a sign of respect.
Tradition dictates that women bathe and dress the deceased – if the deceased is male, he is shaved – and the body is dressed in white. The deceased is laid out on a table or bed and the women begin “keening.”
Keening is a vocal lament that sounds very much like wailing, and that does not start until the body is laid out, for fear that evil spirits will converge on the deceased.
A Rosary is placed in the hands of the deceased, and visiting mourners say a prayer to the deceased. The entire Rosary is recited at least once, often at midnight.
Tradition also decrees that the life of the deceased be celebrated, so food and drink is shared during the wake, music is played and the mourners dance, which imbues the wake with a party-like atmosphere. Though the Catholic Church has tried to abolish alcohol concumption during wakes, the attempt has been largely unsuccessful. In some areas, a game of cards is played, with an honorary hand dealt for the deceased.
The body is watched over throughout the night, and sometimes a Mass is held in the home. Frequently, the wake is held through to the next day, though sometimes lasts a second night, depending on the time of death.
The afternoon at the end of the wake, the Mortician will put the deceased in a casket and transport them to the Funeral Home. This final trip from home is one of the saddest parts of the traditional Irish Wake. The deceased will rest in a Church overnight and a Mass is usually said the following day before burial.
The celebratory aspects of the Traditional Irish Wake are rooted in the ancient Celtic beliefs that when someone died, the afterlife was a better place to be, so their passing was really a cause for rejoicing.
Many of these customs are now fading, though modern Irish funerals still retain some celebratory traditions such as sharing stories of the deceased over food and drink.