After the passing of a friend or relative, it’s common to hold a visitation or wake adjacent to the funeral service. If you’re unfamiliar with these aspects of a funeral, you may be unsure if it’s appropriate for you to attend. Here’s a guide to help you get acquainted with these terms and understand the protocol for each.

Visitation

When you attend a visitation, you’ll have the chance to spend time with the family of the decedent, sharing fond memories and expressing your condolences. This event usually takes place a day or two before the funeral service. Compared to “wake,” the term “visitation” is relatively contemporary. It has its roots in secular funeral services, such as those carried out by morticians, funeral homes, and directors. If you are invited to this gathering, you should attend, but only for however long it feels comfortable. If you weren’t close with the individual or their family, you might want to pay your respects and leave to allow the other guests to mourn.

Wake

While this term is sometimes used interchangeably with “visitation” — especially in the U.S. and Canada — wakes have their roots in early Christianity. Anglo-Saxons and Celts believed wakes were a time to guard the lost loved one. Therefore, their closest friends and family members would stay awake through the night, keeping watch over the body to protect it from malevolent spirits. Today, many wakes take place after the funeral service at a home or other private gathering space. Visitors usually bring food and share fond memories about the lost loved one.

If you’re looking to plan a wake or visitation around a loved one’s funeral service, contact Brater-Winter Funeral Home of Cincinnati, OH. Their compassionate team will be there every step of the way to help you plan, organize, and execute a thoughtful, dignified service. To learn more about their offerings, visit the website. You can also call (513) 941-1940 to schedule an appointment with a funeral director.