The Irish Wake

A history of vigil, lament, and celebration.

For centuries, the Irish wake has remained one of the most vivid and communal responses to death in Western culture. Neither entirely solemn nor wholly festive, it is a gathering that weaves grief with laughter.

As a full-blooded Irish-American, I’m proud to continue this legacy.

The wake belongs to our long tradition of facing mortality head-on, blending sorrow and laughter, and honoring the dead. It also predates Christianity. At its core, the wake reflects an enduring belief that death is not an end, but a transition—one that demands both reverence and recognition of the life that was lived.

An Ancient Celtic Custom

The wake has its roots in the ancient customs of the Celts. Long before the spread of Catholicism to the island in the fifth century, death was seen as a liminal event, a passage between worlds that warranted careful observance.

Archaeological evidence points to elaborate funerary rites among the pagan Irish, whose spiritual beliefs centered around the permeability of the bo…