ABSTRACT
The wake is a vigil or watch kept over a deceased person prior to burial (see burial rites). It is an interval of solicitude for the deceased during which the family, kin and community engage in customary mortuary rituals culminating in the burial of the corpse. In the circumstances of a 'good death' the wake could be the occasion of large-scale ritual. Various factors including climatic conditions, customary and religious practices, age, sex and social status of the deceased, play a role in determining the duration of the wake and the elaboration of ceremonies.
