What is the origin of the word wake?
In some ancient societies, especially in Ireland and other parts of Northern Europe, the wake was a custom practiced in the days between a death and a burial. People would sit vigil with the dead body, praying and watching over it throughout the day and night. This accounts for the term “wake,” which comes from the same word root as “watch.”
Why is it called a wake for the dead?
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 usage of the verb wake is "become or stay alert", a wake for the dead harks back to the vigil, "watch" or "guard" of earlier times.
What is the difference between Wake and funeral?
A wake is a social gathering associated with death, usually held before a funeral. Traditionally, a wake takes place in the house of the deceased with the body present; however, modern wakes are often performed at a funeral home or another convenient location. A wake is also sometimes held in place of a funeral as a social celebration ...
What happens at a wake?
A wake is a social gathering associated with death, usually held before a funeral. Traditionally, a wake takes place in the house of the deceased with the body present; however, modern wakes are often performed at a funeral home or another convenient location.
Why is viewing called a wake?
The family decides whether to arrange viewing in the funeral home or the family house of the deceased. What is a Wake? As the name indicates, a wake refers to the time the mourners stay awake to mourn and pay tribute to the lost loved one.
What is the origin of the word wake?
A: The modern verb “wake” comes from two Old English words, “wacan” (to become awake) and “wacian” (to be or remain awake), according to The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology and the Dictionary of Word Origins by John Ayto.
What does the word wake mean at a funeral?
What is a wake? A wake, also known as a funeral reception, is an event where close friends and family of the deceased gather together to pay their respects to their loved one. Traditionally, a wake referred to the viewing held before the funeral, but nowadays it's usually held after the funeral or memorial service.
What is difference between wake and funeral?
For example, a wake is a more informal time for visitation and remembrance of the dead, whereas a funeral typically contains structured rituals and is often religious in nature. It's common for a family to have both a wake and a funeral in order to commemorate the death of a loved one.
What does in the wake of mean?
idiom. If something happens in the wake of something else, it happens after and often because of it: Airport security was extra tight in the wake of yesterday's bomb attacks. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases.
What is the past tense of woke?
Wake, Woke, Awake, AwokenPresentPast-tensePast-Participalwakewokewaked (or woken)awakeawokeawaked (or awoken)awakenawakenedawakenedwake upwoke upwaked upMar 15, 2012
What happens at a wake?
A wake, also known as a viewing, visitation or gathering, typically occurs before the funeral takes place. An urn or a casket is typically present, and the casket may be opened or closed. At this time, people pay their respects and offer condolences to loved ones of the departed.
What do you call the waves behind a boat?
The wake of any ship or boat consists of the waves created by the hull of the vessel as it moves through the water.
What is a wake at a funeral?
More often, a wake is one of several ceremonies that take place after a death.
Where did the term "wake" come from?
In some ancient societies, especially in Ireland and other parts of Northern Europe, the wake was a custom practiced in the days between a death and a burial. People would sit vigil with the dead body, praying and watching over it throughout the day and night. This accounts for the term “wake,” which comes from the same word root as “watch.”
What is a visitation at a funeral?
A visitation is focused on comforting the family. They may be greeting guests in a receiving line, or in a less formal visitation, family may be arrayed around the room, where guests can come talk to them. Either of these gatherings can be referred to as a wake, and they often take place at the funeral home or wherever the funeral will be held.
What is the purpose of a wake?
The wake presents an opportunity to comfort the family in a more relaxed setting than the funeral service. This has evolved from an ancient practice of sitting vigil after a person’s death.
Why is the wake called the wake?
Either way, it’s not true that the wake is named because of fears of a person waking up after being buried. The word wake, as used in death ceremonies, is more closely related to watching than to waking up.
Why is the Irish wake important?
The wake became strongly associated with Irish culture, where it was a sort of celebration of life that took place in the family home prior to the funeral.
What is a wake at a Catholic funeral?
Some Catholic families may have a wake that is a short service prior to the funeral in which a priest says prayers and recites scriptures. This may be called a rosary service instead.
What is a funerary wake?
Eventually, the term came to mean the social interactions accompanying a funeral. Other types of wakes existed as well; those about to be knighted would conduct a wake prior to their investiture. But only the funerary wake survives today as a practice.
What does "wake" mean?
Semantically, a wake meant 'a period of not sleeping while one held a vigil over a corpse'.
Why did people lay out for days?
Yet again the internet lore Life in the 1500s registers a specious explanation. It claims that lead drinking cups and alcohol would knock people out for several days. Therefore they were laid out for several days to determine if they were actually dead or if they would wake up.
What is the term for the viewing of a body in a funeral home?
The viewing of a body in a funeral home is often referred to as a wake. Can anyone explain where the meaning for this word originated?
Why do old caskets have claw marks?
Thats odd, ever notice some old caskets have claw marks, due to person being buried alive, thought were dead... There were some time grave diggers would tie a string to your toe, which it is attached to a bell... If the bell rings, they'll dig that you out.. And this is where "saved by the bell" came from...
Is "waked him for three days" a verb?
Its also used as a verb, as in "we waked him for three days" or "he's being waked at O'Reilly's." My bet is that originally the wake went on all night long, you sat awake with the deceased. Now I will go check and see whats reallky true.
What is the difference between a wake and a funeral?
At a funeral, the body is typically up at the front of the room where the ceremony is being held, whether that’s at a funeral home or church.
What to say at a funeral wake?
Whether a wake is held at a funeral home or a family home, members of the deceased’s family will be in attendance. Wakes are, in large part, all about comforting family members. You may encounter them in a formal receiving line, or sitting down in a more relaxed atmosphere. You can offer simple condolences like, “I’m sorry for your loss.” You can also get more detailed and share a lighthearted story about the deceased that their family might not know already.
Why do people wake up after death?
Some wakes may even take place immediately preceding a funeral. The purpose of a wake is for the community to come together in support of the family of the deceased. The mood of a wake is often happy and relaxed.
Why do people go to wakes?
People are usually expected to approach the body so that they can say goodbye and pay their respects. This is considered a way to honor the deceased. Seeing the body can also bring closure. Some attendees of the wake might even touch the body if they are comfortable and it’s permitted.
How many funeral services can you hold?
How many of these three services do people usually hold? It comes down to personal choice. You can hold, one, two, or all three . If you opt for all three, you’d usually start with a wake at home. You would then follow up with a memorial service at the funeral home, followed by a funeral at the funeral home or church.
What are some ceremonies that take place after death?
Some common ones include viewings, visitations, memorial services, funerals, and celebrations of life. One such ceremony is a wake.
Why don't wakes show the body of the deceased?
This is in part because there is a lot of paperwork involved in transporting a body in between locations. It’s also due in part to the modern discomfort associated with death.
Overview
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 usage of the verb wake is "become or stay alert", a wake for the dead harks back to the vigil, "watch" or "guard" of earlier times. 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 fea…
Ireland
The wake is a key part of the death customs of Ireland; 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. Shane McCorristine writes that the original purposes of an Irish wake were to honour …
Other modern wakes
Wake customs similar to those of Ireland are still found in North-western Scotland and in the North of England.
With the change to the more recent practice of holding the wake at a funeral home rather than the home, the custom of providing refreshment to the mourners is often held immediately after the funeral at the house or another convenient location.
See also
• Shemira, the custom of "guarding" the body of the deceased in Judaism
• Nine nights
• Month's Mind
• Lying in state
External links
• Ripley, George; Dana, Charles A., eds. (1879). "Wake – In Ireland" . The American Cyclopædia.
• Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Wake" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.