Irish-style wakes are a 'better way to grieve the dead': Services that are open ... trends now
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Irish-style wakes may help people cope better with their bereavement than funerals, a new study suggests.
Researchers said services that welcome the entire community and feature an open casket for mourners to say goodbye could help lower rates of prolonged grief disorder (PGD).
This is described as being when a person has a yearning for the deceased which persists for more than six months.
An Ulster University study found that about 10.9 per cent of bereaved Irish people met the criteria for PGD, compared to 15 per cent in the UK.
Cultural differences around death may be part of the reason that bereaved people in the UK are 50 per cent more likely to have the condition, the authors said.
How best to deal with grief: Irish-style wakes may help people cope better with their bereavement than funerals, a new study suggests. This graphic shows how the two compare
Researchers said services that welcome the entire community and feature an open casket for mourners to say goodbye could help lower rates of prolonged grief disorder (stock image)
'For example, in Ireland, it is customary to hold a wake (i.e., social gathering prior to a funeral) during which family, friends, neighbours, work colleagues and acquaintances can come to pay their respects and support the bereaved,' they added.
'In the United Kingdom, such an event generally takes place after the funeral and is akin to social gatherings that occur following an Irish funeral.'
Wakes usually last two or
