Funerals...

OutlawPete · 06-03-2010 05:55AM

When I was growing up I lived beside a Graveyard.

Ray Burke attended nearly every funeral.

Politicians did that a lot, guess it gets them votes.

RayM · 06-03-2010 06:14AM

OutlawPete wrote: »

Politicians did that a lot, guess it gets them votes.

And tea & sandwiches.

I think I'd be pretty pissed off if I was grieving, and a bunch of politicians turned up at the funeral just to pick up a few cheap votes.

stovelid · 06-03-2010 09:54AM

Degag wrote: »

Ok, i've often wondered why some people are so facinated with these. )

Sending off and showing respect for our dead is one of the cornerstones of civilisation. Far more so than a lot of other rituals that we observe.

alwaysadub · 06-03-2010 10:12AM

Degag wrote: »

Who said they were fun? Funerals by distinction should be the polar opposite of fun.

A lot of people want a funeral and wake to be a celebration of someone's life and don't want people to be moping about. I've had a lot of people die on me. My dad was buried 14yrs ago today. Its also his birthday today. He hated funerals and everything about them so we basically had a party for the few days after-remembered happy stories and jokes and songs he liked. Cos we knew he wouldn't have wanted us all sitting there being upset.

Anyway,coming from a mother and father who are both from the country,i do tend to go to a fair few funerals. I went to pay my respect to the person that died. But after losing so many people close to me,i've kinda stopped going to funerals of distant relatives that i hardly knew. There's only so many funerals a person can take..

Mike 1972 · 06-03-2010 11:17AM

OutlawPete wrote: »

Politicians did that a lot, guess it gets them votes.

From the deceased ?

stovelid · 06-03-2010 11:39AM

In grudging fairness to politicians, some people might get the hump if they didn't turn up to local funerals.

Mike 1972 · 06-03-2010 12:21PM

While others might get the hump over them attending funerals when they should be doing the job theyre paid for

Sid_Justice · 06-03-2010 12:34PM

I was actually thinking about this the other day. At what point is it inappropriate to attend a funeral? If you had some issues with the deceased or their family and turned up, could it cause a scene?

I generally speaking, attend all funerals I become aware of. Like if someone rings me and says, did you hear our mutual acquaintance mother died? Funeral is on here at such a time. Removal is that this time. If I can make it, I'd usually attend. Even if i never actually met the deceased.

Stacey.x · 06-03-2010 12:38PM

myself, ive never been to a funeral, but i would like to

Just to pay respect to the person that died, really.
i know its a shame for the family and all that, but like, they arent the ones who just died.

also, i think people should wear bright colours to a funeral... who cares about tradition?!
make it happy as much as you can!

UpCork · 06-03-2010 12:53PM

There's a lady I know (she'd be hitting 60+ now I'd say!) who attends funerals of people she only vaguely knows (the friend of a friend who she's only met about five times) and then she can go to the 'reception' afterward for in her own words ' a little drink' (more like as much alcohol as she can get).

I have been to a few funerals in my time - awful and I can't imagine going to one just for the sake of going. Even if I've accompanied my Mother to one or two (work colleagues etc) and I didn't know them that well, I've always found them frightfully harrowing experiences.

My grandfather died when I was small, so only have a vague memory of his, but my grandmother died when I was much older and I hated the fact that everyone was looking with such pitying eyes at all of us. People get really tongued tied during times like this and never know what to say. I always say that if one feels like that (I have), then just go up and shake the persons hand and say 'thinking of you'. Don't start rambling because you'll end up saying really, really stupid stuff.

MaybeLogic · 06-03-2010 01:16PM

I can´t stand them. Friends and immediate family only.
If they had more New Orleans-style funerals here, with the singing and dancing, I might go to more.

Duggy747 · 06-03-2010 01:35PM

Hate funerals, especially the wake.

If I'm sitting down I have to shake hands for ages to gobshìtes I don't even like, if I'm paying respect I always seem to be out of place once I shake my friend's hands. Plus, seeing the person in the coffin is something I'll never get used to, they never look like what they did when they were alive.

In a perfect world I'd never have to go to another funeral, not even my own!

m@cc@ · 06-03-2010 01:37PM

Duggy747 wrote: »

Hate funerals, especially the wake.

Boo! The wake is the best part! Better than any wedding I've been to.

Luno · 06-03-2010 01:51PM

There is a lot of reasons why people attend funerals. Pay respect to the deceased whom they may have known..
Or to support a family member of the deceased even if they didn't know the person who had passed.
It's all about showing support for others, funerals can be a tough thing to deal with and it's much better to have the support of friends and family instead of no one.

Super-Rush · 06-03-2010 02:49PM

Hey you can't spell funeral without fun

Stacey.x · 06-03-2010 02:53PM

m@cc@ wrote: »

Boo! The wake is the best part! Better than any wedding I've been to.

LOL!!!

Mike 1972 · 06-03-2010 02:58PM

ToniTuddle wrote: »

I remember when alot of households use to leave plates of cigarettes out for folks

Nothing bizzare or ironic about this nope ?

Rebelheart · 06-03-2010 03:19PM

Degag wrote: »

Ok, i've often wondered why some people are so facinated with these. Most people i know go to at least one funeral a week, alot of the times to the funeral of those they hardly know. Why? Is it to "show face?" or are they really religious? Or is it just a thing that people do because "it's to be done"?

I don't really know. The person is dead, we should pay respect, to whom? the family? What if we don't know the family? Do the family really care? I say this because i am going to a funeral of a mother of a friend tomorrow.

It just gets to me because i know certain people who go to every funeral around (moreso imo to get the free pints, soup and sandwiches afterwards) and they won't stop going on about it. Not sure if i'm making sense but i'm sure AH will let me know or not.:)

Attending funerals, or rather wakes, is ineffably more moving and spiritual than attending weddings. There's (obviously) much more consciousness of death and thus appreciation of life at your average wake. There are much better stories, told with more heart and more philosophy than you could get in a lifetime of weddings. You see neighbours you rarely see and they all rally around to help out. You realise how many friends the deceased had and that is a huge honour to his/her relatives. When entire villages or communities close down when the funeral is held after a local tragedy, that says much about the sense of honour and empathy in that community.

I'll never forget a family near me who lost 2 of their children in a house fire one night in the past 10 years. Two years previously they had lost another child. The house was uninsured as they had moved into it a couple of weeks beforehand (having just built it). There was, understandably, huge shock across the community at the deaths. In response, the GAA held a meeting two days later in the clubhouse and all tradesmen, labourers and business people who could help out were asked to attend. The clubhouse was black with people. Within 9 months of voluntary work organised by the GAA the family in question had their home rebuilt by the community at no cost. That is the sort of human decency and sense of community which a death in a community can bring about. It is amazing, and inspiring, to see.

big_show · 06-03-2010 03:24PM

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Nothing bizzare or ironic about this nope ?

Surely they would leave out a few matches?

annabellee77 · 06-03-2010 03:25PM

Everyone is different I guess, but I find it helpful to go through the process. I've unfortunately been to too many funerals of close family and friends that went well before their time and though it can be a traumatic experience, I do personally think it helps....

Rural communities too have much bigger funerals. I heard afterwards when my Dad passed away, that some of the farmers in the locality got up hours earlier to get work done to go, and that there were ghost farms around the parish for that few hours....many an exageration, but it helps the family that people care enough to turn up to express their condolences.

TPD · 06-03-2010 03:26PM

There are a few funerals I'm looking forward to. Not because I want the person to die, but it's just that I know their funerals will be memorable.

Celebrity-wise, I can't wait for Arnold Schwarzenegger's funeral. I can't see that being anything short of epic. And he'd probably have 'I'll be back' as his epitaph.

A few characters about town whose funerals I'm looking forward to.

Run_to_da_hills · 06-03-2010 03:40PM

Degag wrote: »

I remember when my uncle died a few years back and i had to carry the coffin, first time i ever had to do it. I remember just when we had it lifted, i looked down and saw that my shoelace was untied. I was petrified all the way from the funeral home to the hearse that i'd trip and the coffin would fall and burst open:eek: Think i actually had nightmares for a while.

A few years ago two horses pulling the hearse spooked, coffin came flying out the back and burst open exposing the stiff, funeral parlor was sued. :eek:

cournioni · 06-03-2010 03:46PM

Personally, I ****ing hate them.

Degag · 06-03-2010 03:50PM

UpCork wrote: »

There's a lady I know (she'd be hitting 60+ now I'd say!) who attends funerals of people she only vaguely knows (the friend of a friend who she's only met about five times) and then she can go to the 'reception' afterward for in her own words ' a little drink' (more like as much alcohol as she can get).

Yes!

I know a few people like that too! Really annonying actually. They'd say, "Do you know that the grandfather of the best friend of your third cousin is dead?" And actally be shocked when i say that i don't, as if to say i don't know what's going on in my family.

As i said, i work in a pub which holds funeral functions, and these people are ALWAYS there!

Run_to_da_hills · 06-03-2010 04:20PM

PORNAPSTER wrote: »

Personally, I ****ing hate them.

I don't think there is anyone that really likes or looks foreward to them except those that are expecting some slice out of a will.

brummytom · 06-03-2010 04:30PM

Stacey.x wrote: »

myself, ive never been to a funeral, but i would like to

God,. you wouldn't. I've been to quite a few - half of them, I barely knew the person, and a few times, didn't even know they existed

also, i think people should wear bright colours to a funeral... who cares about tradition?!
make it happy as much as you can!

Fcuk that.

I want people slitting their wrists out of grief at my funeral. If I'm dead, people better be bawling their eyes out or they're getting some serious haunting

06-03-2010 04:46PM

I think it's an Irish thing. Always weirded me out a bit. Think I've been to 2 funerals ever.

Minstrel27 · 06-03-2010 04:52PM

I have been to three funerals in the last five years.

IrishManSaipan · 06-03-2010 04:55PM

The Perfect Drug wrote: »

There are a few funerals I'm looking forward to. Not because I want the person to die, but it's just that I know their funerals will be memorable.

Celebrity-wise, I can't wait for Arnold Schwarzenegger's funeral. I can't see that being anything short of epic. And he'd probably have 'I'll be back' as his epitaph.

A few characters about town whose funerals I'm looking forward to.

All very morbid if you ask me. Looking forward to your neighbours funeral, okaaaaaay............

ToniTuddle · 06-03-2010 04:56PM

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Nothing bizzare or ironic about this nope ?

These cigarettes on a plate always seemed to be at the wakes of old men too. Never really the old woman...unless she was a heavy smoker!

The Perfect Drug wrote: »

There are a few funerals I'm looking forward to. Not because I want the person to die, but it's just that I know their funerals will be memorable.
A few characters about town whose funerals I'm looking forward to.

HA!

brummytom wrote: »

I want people slitting their wrists out of grief at my funeral. If I'm dead, people better be bawling their eyes out or they're getting some serious haunting

You will have plenty hauntings to do then so

:pac:

Funerals...

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