I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine about funerals. Random, I know, but we got to talking about it after she saw a photo of my family dressed up and asked where it had been taken. When I responded it was taken at a restaurant after my grandmother's funeral she seemed more than a bit shaken.
I replied that in my family, while it's obviously okay to cry at the funeral itself, you are supposed to use the wake to celebrate the person's life, and it is not supposed to be a time for tears. Instead, you're supposed to eat, drink, and reminisce about the good times with the person. When I told her this, she was rather shocked by this and thought it was very strange, and honestly I think she thought it was in poor taste.
I'm curious what everyone elses' experiences are in the matter? Is this just a tradition passed down by family country of origin, or is it family specific? If it matters, my family is primarly German, Irish, and Scottish and if religion matters, Catholic.
I've truly never given any thought to it because it was just the way it was done in my family. But now I am curious.
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