A wake is a funeral tradition associated mostly with Irish culture, though there are equivalents in other cultures as well. A traditional wake takes place shortly after death and before the burial, but wakes held after the funeral are becoming more common. Traditionally, a wake is held in the home of the deceased, though some are held in funeral parlors today.

A wake may simply be a viewing, at which people pay their last respects to the deceased, or it may be more of a party, combining mourning with a celebration of the deceased's life and of his or her entry into the afterlife. Originally, a wake was held to watch for signs of life and to confirm that the person was dead before burial, and the custom evolved over time into the formal farewell it is today.

In Ireland, there are a number of customs associated with the wake. All clocks in the house are stopped and mirrors are covered. The women of the family wash and dress the deceased, often in white, and perform keening, traditional mourning songs. Other common activities during an Irish wake are eating and drinking, prayer, dancing, playing games, and of course, reminiscing about the deceased. A wake is a time of sadness, but also a time to bond with family, to remember the deceased fondly, and to take comfort in the company of loved ones. Traditional Irish wakes were overnight affairs, but this custom is increasingly less common.

Though the wake has become associated with Roman Catholicism in Ireland, it has pre-Christian origins. In fact, the Catholic Church once discouraged the wake as a pagan practice. The Celts believed that death was a time for rejoicing, as the afterlife was believed to be better than this world. Vikings spent a night celebrating the life of the deceased as they watched him or her float out to sea on a burning boat. Traditions similar to the Irish wake, complete with feasting and drinking, exist in Jamaica and among the Maori of New Zealand, as well as in other cultures around the world.