The tradition here for the wake is literally to stay awake until the dead is buried. Usually the wake is held for 3 nights in the funeral home or chapel and mostly for the poor, it is in their home. One purpose of the wake is to collect contributions from the people who show their sympathy. And the collected money will be used for the expenses in the wake and the burial. Since the occasion is about death, it is a serious matter and solemnity is observed. Last night we had been to the funeral home for the wake of my brother's wife who died of aneurysm - she just collapsed, fell into a coma and died after a few days. My brother looked okay. He is lucky to have a son with a good job who handled the expenses. The wake was held in the most expensive funeral home. It is noticeable that there was catered food with waiters to serve and an organist who was playing music while on a projector screen was a slide show of pictures of the dead. Two weeks ago, it was my cousin who died and also had the wake in an expensive funeral home. The same thing, there was the catering but no organ player instead there was the stereo playing songs in the 60s and 70s, maybe the favorite songs of my cousin. These 2 events may be showing a paradigm shift in our tradition. I have also read about the celebrities who died with such an activity like karaoke singing or even a program. Although there were prayers, gone is the solemnity of the affair. Truly, times are a-changing.
Here there is usually a delay between when the person dies and when they are buried. It could be as long as 3 or 4 days. I don't think it would be advisable for anyone to stay awake that long! Usually a funeral is solemn, but sometimes they are celebrations of the person's life. I am trying to prepare myself mentally for my parent's eventual death. I may talk to them about that when I go up for their anniversary later this month. Actually, it would be better if my sister did, because they have a better relationship with her. Maybe they already have, but it needs to be discussed. I think having things planned out will take away a lot of the stress of the event itself. I know they have burial plots, not sure about funeral details though. I hope it is not something that will be happening any time in the near future however.
Here, when someone dies in the winter, they are buried in the spring, which could be several months away. Usually, there is a funeral a few days after the death, and a graveside service in the spring when the body is actually buried.
I guess it is really super cold up there, with a hardness or maybe some permafrost to the soil that doesn't exist in most places. Even in Erie, which is one of the snow capitals of the US, I haven't heard of that happening. My grandfather died in January, about 12 years ago. I know that he was buried shortly after the funeral. I wonder if they wait until the Spring to bury people in Northern Minnesota,ND and other locations that are extremely cold, with a great deal of frozen ground.
I grew up in the UP of Michigan and, while I can't say that I paid a lot attention to things like burials, I don't think they waited until spring, but they may have.