Understanding the Difference Between Viewing and Wake

So, if you’re planning to arrange a funeral service or visit one, the below guideline pertaining to Viewing and Wake will help you better understand what each service entails.  

A viewing is an informal event where close friends and family gather to “view the body.” Also referred to as Visitation, Viewing is arranged in a less-structured environment where the visitors mourn and offer condolences to the bereaved family.  

Since it’s an informal gathering, so only a small number of guests are invited, usually the ones close to the bereaved, to pay their final respects. This service usually lasts for a couple of hours and is often scheduled a day before the burial.   

The family decides whether to arrange viewing in the funeral home or the family house of the deceased. 

As the name indicates, a wake refers to the time the mourners stay awake to mourn and pay tribute to the lost loved one. It is quite similar to a viewing, given that both allow the friends and family to offer condolences to the bereaved family and honor the deceased.  

It lasts longer than a viewing and can happen either a day before or several days before the funeral. Just like a viewing, it can be arranged in the funeral home or the family house of the deceased.  

The key difference between a viewing and a wake is religion. While viewing is relatively an unstructured event, a wake has its roots in the Catholic church. A part of it usually includes a religious session involving a member of the clergy or a priest who reads holy texts or scriptures.   

Also, a wake is a more structured and formal service than a viewing, and the family may invite more guests.  

Aside from religious and cultural affiliations, families arrange viewings and wakes to say one last goodbye to the lost loved one. Also, they allow the deceased’s close ones to gather together and spend more time with the body before the final burial or cremation.  

Also, these events help the bereaved adapt to the changed reality and accept the fact that the loved one has gone forever. Research shows that such services help expedite the healing process – that’s why children are also encouraged to attend the viewing ceremony. Many religious families also believe that holding a wake provides significance.  

Given the sanctity of both ceremonies, you should try to be at the best of your behavior while attending a wake or a viewing. Remember:  

• Attend the event only if you’re invited as both as invitation-only ceremonies.  
• If you’re unclear, double-check with the funeral home or a member of the deceased’s family.  
• You can come and go as you fit, there’s no particular time limit for how long you should stay.  
• It’s common to dress in all-black attire, but you can wear any dark-colored clothes and make sure they are not shiny or too casual.  

The process begins with cremation services East Greenville, PA.