Five rules to follow for perfect funeral etiquette

Michelle McBride has always felt awkward at funerals. What should you do? What should you say? After late night chats with grieving friends, she’s learnt that less is more

DECEMBER is coming and while we might be trying to avoid the ‘c word’, there is also a ‘f’ word that will likely abound. Funerals are a fact of life but especially in the winter months. Statistics show that deaths rise by more than seven per cent in the winter months compared to summer months. In 2013 almost 800 more people died in December than in August. And so, along with visiting Santa’s grotto, many of us will find ourselves attending a funeral in the coming months.

Apparently we Irish do them well. While our American counterparts find the idea of a ‘wake’ ghastly, we seem to wear the tradition like a badge of honour. Something that sets us apart. Something we excel at.