What is the difference between a vigil and a wake

A viewing, compared to a funeral, is generally a more informal event. A viewing allows mourners the opportunity to share their grief, support one another, and say goodbye on a personal level.

This is also considered an important event for showing your respects to the family. The viewing has had many name changes over the years. If you're of a certain generation, you'll know it as "calling hours". Some call it a visitation. Viewings can take place at the funeral home or the family home.

They take place before the funeral, sometimes the day before and sometimes the same day. The body or a memorial to the deceased will likely be displayed to allow mourners the opportunity to pay their respects.

Guests come and go as they see fit, some staying for hours while others drop by for just a few moments. Many acquaintances of the deceased consider a viewing the evening before a funeral the best time to pay their respects to the bereaved, by appearing, offering their condolences, and then leaving.

Traditionally, the wake is a Catholic ceremony based in part on the Celtic traditions of Ireland. Those traditions dictated that family and close friends should stay awake through the night with the deceased in order to offer protection from evil spirits. Once buried, all was safe. The Catholic notion of a wake may often include a short ceremony involving a priest.

The priest may say prayers usually the rosary or recite some scriptures. In this stricter Catholic sense, the wake is called a "rosary.

A wake is very similar to a viewing, in that it provides mourners with an opportunity to offer their condolences and share their grief in a less-structured environment. Wakes used to take place in the home but more often than not are held in funeral homes these days. Some choose to have them in the social hall at a place of worship.

Wakes often take place a day or even several days before the funeral. Modern wakes can also take place right before the funeral, on the same day. A wake is essentially a chance for mourners to come together before the funeral takes place. If that sounds remarkably similar to what the viewing is for, that's because they're essentially the same thing.

The difference is that a wake has the Catholic underpinnings of tradition, plus the optional rosary service. Like some wakes, a funeral is led by an officiant. A funeral service is usually 'led' by someone who is familiar with the protocol and traditions. For religious funerals, the officiant is usually a religious leader such as a priest, rabbi, minister, or another person of stature in a house of worship.

As with a wake with a rosary, a funeral involves certain rituals and traditions to uphold, as prescribed by the context of the religion, culture, or region. Oftentimes, memorial votive candles are present near the front or rear of the Catholic church and can be lit ceremonially. This Catholic funeral tradition is a gesture of remembrance, and a small monetary donation may be offered in a box located nearby.

Dignity Memorial professionals cater to a variety of cultures and traditions and are experts in planning Catholic funeral and cemetery services. From the Catholic vigil to the funeral Mass, our associates will help plan a funeral service that honors the Catholic funeral traditions that are important to your family. Contact a Dignity Memorial provider to discuss the options for planning a Catholic service for you or your loved one.

Catholic Funeral Traditions. Elements of the Catholic funeral Catholic vigil wake The Catholic vigil, also known as a wake, generally follows the death but takes place before the funeral mass and the burial. Catholic funeral Mass also called the Requiem Mass The funeral or memorial mass is traditionally held at the church. Catholic burial and cremation After the ceremony, a gathering may take place at a cemetery or mausoleum for the rite of passage, or burial, during which the casket or urn is committed to the final resting place.

Catholic funeral etiquette Flowers are generally acceptable and may be sent to the family's home or to the funeral home. Candles are usually lit and the corpse is never left alone. The "Irish Wake" was a traditional mourning custom practiced in Ireland until the mids. The customs are now only practiced in full in remote Irish towns that honor tradition.

An integral part of the grieving process for family, friends, and neighbors of the deceased, Irish wakes were occasions that mixed joy and sadness. The custom was a celebration of the life that had passed, and a chance to reminisce about the person in a loving and lively fashion, complete with stories, songs, and jokes that relate to his or her memory.

But the tone of the wake may depend on the circumstances of the death. In some cultures the wake is quite solemn, like the Jewish tradition of sitting Shivah. American Wakes Similar parties were thrown in Ireland when a loved one left the country. These became known as "American wakes" in the midth century as Irish immigration to the United States increased.

Many emigrants would never see their Irish neighbors and friends again, and a send off party was thrown that included the same mix of joy and sadness found in an Irish wake.

Icelandic Wakes In Iceland the wake ceremony is called kistulagning. It is a small funeral service or held for the closest family members and friends. It takes up to 30 minutes and is usually held in a small funeral chapel which is called a kapella. Visit the Necro Tourist for Necro Tourism information. Funeral Visitation or "Viewing".