Among Friends

[chiclets]

Yes.

Think of it this way, it is a toast/shot for Auld Lang Syne.

Not for the year that has passed but for the passing of the loved one.

It is a tradition in our family to do this with the glass turned upside down, just as the boots on a horse are reversed for remembrance at a funeral.

[mspatmac]

Irish family, wake (viewing) funeral mass, and after burial gathering at a family members home. Food, sharing fond memories, tears, laughter and assorted spirits and soft drinks available for a toast to our departed loved one. 

[DiAnne]

My Father's family is Irish.  There was a wake at the church the evening before the funeral.  The next day was the funeral mass, the burial and then a luncheon or dinner after.  There was always alcohol involved and lots of laughter.  It was a celebration of the deceased life.

[sunshine45]

mothers side of the family is german/irish.

yes, alcohol and food are almost always involved after the funerals are over. we prefer not to cry, but raise our glasses to our loved one, smile and laugh, and tell wonderful stories. it is much better to do it this way than to be in a room filled with tears. it is usually held in someones home, a hall, or a restaurant.

[Vivian]

I just have a tiny bit of a Irish ancestry but I do recall family members taking a shot of Scotch in honor of the dearly departed. Only the men, of course.

[tupelohonee]

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@Desertdi wrote:

It's called an "Irish Wake"........

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Yes!

[this is my nic]

  My paternal great grandparents came from County Donegal, Ireland.  In the old days, it was traditional for alcohol to be served at the wakes/viewings.  Many got way out of hand, as you can imagine.  My great aunt lost her husband in a mining accident at an early age, in the 1920's or early 1930's. She refused to furnish the expected alcohol and the clay pipes and tobacco.  She was highly criticized for this and felt she had to leave town.  She, in fact, did leave. 

[JudyL]

@sissel  reading this brought back such a wonderful memory from my father's funeral.  He was born and raised in Northern Ireland and came to the US as a young man.  He loved his Bushmills - not to excess but enjoyed a drink every now and then.  At his funeral, my niece found very small taste cups.  Held just enough for one small sip.  So at the gravesite we passed around these small cups with a sip of Bushmills and did a toast to my father.  As everyone was leaving, I found an empty cup and poured a little Bushmills into it and hid it in some flowers that were on top of his casket.  So as my dad's casket was lowered, in my mind, I knew he would always have a little Bushmills with him on his journey to meet my mother.

Thank you for posting this and reminding me of such a sweet memory.

[Annabellethecat66]

My great grandmother was from Ireland and my great grandfather was from Scotland.  They both were what my mother called "horsepeople".  In fact, my grandmother was named after my great grandmother's horse!

In our family (when my mother was alive) we always had Irish wakes.  

So, when my husband died, I threw him my version of a wake.

I believe in celebrating the life the person lived.  I believe in throwing a big party.  That's what we did for my husband.

We had videos with music, lots of alcohol, a few tears, lots of stories (about him) and on and on.

There was one empty seat (it was where he'd have sat).  But the joke was he'd never have sat in it, he'd be 'working' the room.

My daughter knows that when I die that is exactly how I want my funeral.

I think the Irish know how to send loved one's off to Heaven.

[conlt]

The morning of my mothers visitation, we went to her favorite hot dog stand.  We used to take her, sit at a picnic table, have hotdogs and fries. Our family went. and we stood moms picture up on the table. The picture  I had taken at the hotdog stand. We all laughed and reminisced. I have tears just writing this, I lost her in August and miss her so much.