Funeral Feast

Funeral Feast

 

the custom of arranging a repast accompanied by various rituals in memory of a dead person after the burial and also on feast days. It is a custom practiced by most peoples.

In the past, sacrificial offerings were laid on the grave during the funeral feast; some of these offerings were then used for the solemn meal. The rituals accompanying the feast included funeral processions, wailing, and, on the graves of men, contests and military games. Contests and military games were a part of the funeral rituals among the ancient Greeks, Germanic tribes, Slavs, and other peoples. Deriving from this custom are the Christian feasts held on special days established by the church.