My mother's family love a good funeral.
Nothing unusual in that, really, but they do rather take it to extremes.

They don't drown their sorrows and start fights, they just take over a pub and sit for hours happily reminiscing and comparing the babies/cars/spouses acquired since the last family bereavement.

Once after a particularly beloved auntie's death, I was sent to the bar to collect sarnies for my mother's table.

I pushed through the merry throng and picked up the tray, to be told by the barmaid, 'You can't have those - they're for the funeral party.'
Pointing to the one table not occupied by mourners, she continued 'It must be them over there, they look so sad, poor things.'

I was too embarrassed to argue, and sent someone else when the other barmaid was there.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Fri 21 Nov 2008, 4:14, 1 reply)

clicked!
My philosophy on funerals:

There's nothing wrong with that. You're celebrating a life, rather than just mourning a death.

Society seems to say you have to be frozen into a state of perma-upset for the duration, but the simple fact is that's not necessarily appropriate.

These days it's so hard for families to get together en massse; and it would be wrong, and possibly disrespectful of the departed, *not* to make the most of the opportunity to catch up with each other. You're letting some good come from what might be otherwise unrelenting pain.
(The Incredible Sulk Finally remembered his password on, Fri 21 Nov 2008, 11:29, closed)