The Irish might do some strange things at a wake, and these typical traditions might get some weird reactions from those across the world.
Yes, there are many things that the Irish do in their daily life that baffle the world, but when it comes to the traditional Irish wake – a custom that takes place when someone passes away – the Irish have their own way of celebrating that person’s life.
If you have ever been to an Irish wake, you may have encountered a few strange situations, some of which you will recognise here. If you haven’t yet been to one, then stick around to see the ten mad things that happen at Irish wakes that baffle the world.
- The Irish might do some strange things at a wake, and these typical traditions might get some weird reactions from those across the world.
- 10. Keeners – a hired crier
- 9. No crying – a critical rule
- 8. Storytelling – the gift of the gab
- 7. Pranking others – one of the strangest customs
- 6. Playing games – a great way to lighten the mood
- 5. Dancing – the Irish way of celebrating
- 4. Laughing – a common occurrence at an Irish wake
- 3. Drinking – one of the main ways to grieve
- 2. Singing – a traditional custom around Ireland
- 1. Smoking – one of the top ancient Irish wake traditions
10. Keeners – a hired crier
Traditionally, during an Irish wake, a female keener was hired to be there for the duration of the wake. While there, her job was to cry and wail while reciting poetry.
More often than not, a few keeners were hired by the family to perform these mourning duties, which might seem strange to the rest of the world.
9. No crying – a critical rule
When attending an Irish wake, one of the mad things you might have noticed is that there is very little crying.
It is more like a party than a wake since tradition says that no crying can happen until after the body has been fully prepared. This is to prevent evil spirits from finding the soul of the deceased.
8. Storytelling – the gift of the gab
The Irish have the gift of the gab, something which people from around the world love, yet one of the main things that happen at Irish wakes that baffle the world is the custom of storytelling while everyone is grieving.
Storytelling is a huge part of grieving in Ireland, and it was customary to help with mourning.
7. Pranking others – one of the strangest customs
To ease the suffering of friends and family, pranking others was and still is one of the typical things that happen at an Irish wake, so much so that it was not uncommon to witness the bed of the corpse shaking when someone walked by.
This was, of course, someone jokingly hiding under the bed!
6. Playing games – a great way to lighten the mood
Plenty of Irish customs have been around for centuries, and one of the leading customs you’ll find at an Irish wake is the attendees taking part in various games to lighten the mood. Games are a top activity to bring fun and ease the grieving process.
5. Dancing – the Irish way of celebrating
Dancing is undoubtedly one of the top things that happen at Irish wakes that baffle the world, mainly because it might seem like an activity you do in a pub or at an event.
At an Irish wake, however, dancing is very common since it is a way of bringing about fun and celebrating life.
That said, there are a few inappropriate songs that you’ll never hear at a funeral.
4. Laughing – a common occurrence at an Irish wake
One of the main things at Irish wakes that baffles the world is that Irish people will always be seen laughing and portraying a sense of merriment, despite it being a time of mourning.
In the eyes of the Irish, this is a time for celebration, and they would rather laugh and celebrate together.
3. Drinking – one of the main ways to grieve
Okay, so the rest of the world might think the Irish drink all the time, so this may not be a shock to some. Yet it might sound a little strange to get drunk while you are at a wake.
Drinking is a means of celebration in Ireland, and during an Irish wake, many drinks are had as part of the grieving process.
Related: Top ten funny Irish drinking toasts that will always get a laugh.
2. Singing – a traditional custom around Ireland
Ireland has always had a tradition of song and dance, with various types of traditional Irish music existing around the country.
During an Irish wake, it is important to include singing as a form of celebration of life and Irish culture and as a way of grieving those who have passed away.
1. Smoking – one of the top ancient Irish wake traditions
Whether or not you’re a smoker, at an Irish wake, it was always a custom to place pipes, tobacco, and snuff around the room for the male visitors to smoke. This was said to keep the evil spirits from finding the body, and the pipes were usually placed next to the body.
So, there you have the ten mad things that happen at Irish wakes that baffle the world – how many have you already heard of?
