What are the pre-Christian origins of a funeral wake?
A wake may simply be a viewing, at which people pay their last respects to the deceased, or it may be more of a party, combining mourning with a celebration of the deceased’s life and of his or her entry into the afterlife. Originally, a wake was held to watch for signs of life and to confirm that the person was dead before burial, and the custom evolved over time into the formal farewell it is today. The Celts believed that death was a time for rejoicing, as the afterlife was believed to be better than this world. Vikings spent a night celebrating the life of the deceased as they watched him or her float out to sea on a burning boat. Traditions similar to the Irish wake, complete with feasting and drinking, exist in Jamaica and among the Maori of New Zealand, as well as in other cultures around the world.
