Holding a wake or vigil Sam Weller It's rare nowadays for a body to be kept at home for a wake, so that visitors can pay last respects and say farewell. More often it's swiftly taken to a funeral home, laid out and kept under controlled temperature conditions until cremation or burial.

In this article

Funeral homes Church vigils

Non-Christian wakes Traditional wakes

Most funeral homes have one or more viewing rooms, usually cubicles big enough for a coffin and one or two chairs, called 'chapels of rest'. There will probably be subdued lighting and places to display religious artefacts, flowers and perhaps candles. Here, at appointed times, friends and relatives may be invited to view the body.

It's still quite customary, especially with High Anglican and Roman Catholic ceremonies, to hold a vigil, where the coffin rests overnight in the church before the service. Mourners may be invited to attend a ceremony where the deceased is brought in and placed in a side chapel, also known as a chapel of rest. This will give those unable to attend the funeral an opportunity to participate.

To find out who to talk to about non-Christian wakes and vigils, contact The Inter Faith Network for the United Kingdomor the British Humanist Association.

The old-fashioned wake, which tends to be associated anecdotally with Irish culture and involve a long, boozy night beside the coffin, is now rare. Nowadays friends and family tend to gather to reminisce and take refreshments after the funeral rather than before.

If you wish to hold a traditional wake, you can ask the funeral director to make the necessary arrangements and bring the body to your home.

If you're interested in holding a traditional Irish wake, there's a detailed description of what's involved at Irishfuneral.com.