Funeral superstitions often concentrate on the boundary between the dead and the living: mirrors are hidden, clocks are stopped, windows may be opened for the departing soul, particular routes are followed, and mourners may perform small acts intended to keep a spirit from returning home with them. Yet the same action can carry a different explanation elsewhere. Irish folklore records mirror covering so the dead person’s ghost will not be seen, while a traditional Chinese account warns that seeing a coffin reflected in a mirror foretells another death in the family.
Some practices recorded around funerals are explicit supernatural beliefs; others survive in folklore collections as prohibitions whose original explanation was not recorded. The examples here retain those distinctions rather than treating every mourning custom, religious rite, or burial practice as a prediction or magical rule.
Inside the House of Mourning
Cover or Remove Mirrors After a Death
Mirror covering appears with different explanations. A County Cork folklore record says a looking glass should be covered so the deceased person’s ghost will not be seen. Traditional Chinese funeral lore instead warns against allowing anyone to see a coffin reflected in a mirror, because the reflection is said to foretell another death in the viewer’s family.
Stop the Clocks Until the Funeral Is Over
Irish folklore collections repeatedly record stopping household clocks when someone dies. A Michigan archive entry gives the practice a supernatural purpose: the clocks remain stopped until after the funeral to prevent the deceased from returning at the same hour of death on the following night.
Carry the Dead Out Feet First
A folklore record from Dromiskin, County Louth, states that a corpse should leave the house feet first. Its warning is unusually explicit: carrying the body out in another manner was said to mean that another member of the family would die.
Do Not Sweep the Wake-House Floor
A County Cork wake record says the floor was not to be swept while the wake was taking place. If sweeping became unavoidable, the sweepings were not thrown outside. The record preserves the prohibition but does not give a supernatural consequence, so the reason should not be supplied from later folklore.
Do Not Dress the Corpse in Red
A traditional Chinese funeral account describes red as unsuitable clothing for the deceased and gives a supernatural explanation: dressing the body in red is said to cause the deceased to become a ghost. The same source cautions that observance varies between regions and Chinese communities.
Open a Window to Let the Soul Leave
A Schools’ Collection record from County Donegal says that when a person died, a window was left open to let out the soul. The supernatural explanation distinguishes this belief from ordinary ventilation or household practice associated with a wake.
The Coffin, Body, and Wake-House Taboos
Take the Coffin Lid Off Before Bringing It Indoors
A County Leitrim folklore record says a coffin brought into the house should have its lid removed outside and carried in separately. Bringing it in with the lid still on was said to mean that another death would occur in the family.
Do Not Let Tears Fall on the Face of the Dead
A University of Detroit Mercy folklore record from Detroit preserves a direct crying taboo: allowing tears to fall onto the deceased person’s face was considered bad luck. The archive does not attach a more specific consequence, so the warning is best left in that limited form.
Remove the Deceased’s Clothes From the Room
A Jamaican belief recorded by the University of Detroit Mercy says the dead person’s clothes should be removed from the room where the death occurred. If they remain there, the deceased is said to return each night to try them on.
Turn the Table to Send the Next Death Elsewhere
A County Kerry account describes relatives turning the table after a corpse was moved into the coffin. In the recorded explanation, each side of an extended family might try to turn it first so that the next death would pass to the other side. A related version mentions turning the mattress and sheets for the same purpose.
Do Not Kick the Threshold When Leaving the Coffin Room
A County Galway collection records that, when a coffin was in the room, it was considered bad luck for anyone to kick the threshold while going out. No further consequence is stated in the record, making this a funeral-specific taboo rather than a documented death prediction.
A Corpse That Does Not Stiffen Foretells Another Death
Irish folklore records a belief that if a corpse remains limber instead of stiffening before burial, another death will follow in the family. A County Leitrim version states the omen directly, while a County Mayo record narrows the prediction to another death in the house within a year.
Omens Around the Procession and Grave
Falling Into a Grave Means You Will Be Next
A County Meath informant states that a person who falls into a grave will be the next to die. A County Roscommon record preserves a counter-action: someone who fell in the graveyard on the funeral day was likewise said to be next, unless the person tasted the clay at the exact place of the fall.
Never Count the Cars in a Funeral Procession
A University of Detroit Mercy folklore record from Kalamazoo preserves an Italian-American family warning against counting cars in a funeral procession. In that version, every vehicle counted supposedly removes one year from the counter’s life.
Rain on the Dead Can Be a Favorable Sign
Funeral rain receives a favorable interpretation in several Irish records and in a Detroit folklore entry. Versions preserve the saying that the corpse on whom rain falls is fortunate or happy, making the weather an omen for the deceased rather than a warning to mourners.
A Grave That Does Not Sink Foretells Another Family Death
A Westmeath Schools’ Collection record states that if a grave does not sink in the churchyard, it is a sign of another death in the same family. The belief concerns the later condition of the grave, not the conduct of the burial itself.
Do Not Leave a Grave Open Overnight
A County Leitrim list of death and burial beliefs states that a grave should not be left open overnight. The archival text gives no supernatural result for breaking the rule, so it is best treated as a documented burial taboo without adding a later explanation.
Graveyard Taboos and Funeral Luck
Spitting on a Grave Makes You the Next to Die
A County Mayo folklore collection gives a direct warning: a person who spits on a grave will be the next to die. The same group of graveyard beliefs also warns against stumbling and disturbing material associated with graves.
Do Not Take Anything Out of the Graveyard
The same County Mayo record says that if someone takes anything out of a graveyard, the spirits will follow. The wording makes the prohibition a supernatural protection rule rather than a general instruction about respecting cemetery property.
Wearing Something New to a Funeral Is Unlucky
A County Leitrim collection lists wearing anything new at a funeral as unlucky. No particular punishment or future event is attached to the rule in the surviving entry, so it remains a concise clothing taboo rather than a specific omen.
Four Coffin Bearers With the Same Name Are Lucky
A County Roscommon funeral account says it was reckoned lucky for four men of the same name to carry out the coffin. Similar Irish records specify four bearers sharing the deceased person’s surname, showing that the exact naming rule varied between local accounts.
Keeping the Dead from Following the Living
Touch the Deceased’s Hand to Prevent Dream Haunting
A Detroit folklore record says a visitor to a wake should touch the deceased person’s hand. The gesture was said to prevent the dead person from returning to haunt that visitor in dreams. An Irish record from County Leitrim preserves a closely related rule about touching the deceased before leaving the wake-house.
Do Not Go Straight Home After a Wake or Funeral
The Filipino practice commonly called pagpag involves stopping somewhere before returning home so a spirit or harmful influence does not follow. A Detroit archive records a Lebanese-linked version intended to confuse the “curse of death,” while a Chinese-American account describes stopping elsewhere to misdirect lingering spirits.
Burn the Deceased’s House So the Spirit Will Not Haunt the Living
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts documents an older Remontado death practice in the Sierra Madre highlands of the Philippines. A person was traditionally buried where death occurred, and the dwelling formerly occupied by the deceased was burned while an elder explained the act so the dead would not haunt the living.
Use Ashes to See Whether the Spirit Returned
Another older Remontado practice involved spreading ashes on a window tray on the fourth night after burial. If the ashes appeared disturbed the next morning, this was interpreted as evidence that the bibit, the spirit of the deceased, had returned during the night.
Enter the Home Backwards After the Funeral
A USC folklore record from a Trinidadian-American family describes entering the home backwards after visiting a funeral, graveyard, or cremation site. The stated purpose is to keep the deceased person’s spirit from following the mourners through the doorway and remaining in the home.
An Ill Person Should Avoid the Funeral
A Korean family belief collected by USC describes an ill person avoiding a funeral because spirits there might sense the person’s weakness, follow them home, and mark them as the next to die. The account is linked to a woman from Daegu and records a superstition, not a medical risk of funeral attendance.
A Funeral Warning Connected With Pregnancy
A Pregnant Woman Should Avoid the Funeral
A 1967 New York folklore record describes Irish relatives warning a pregnant woman that attending a funeral would cause her baby to be stillborn. The same archival account says she attended anyway and later delivered healthy twins. It documents a family superstition, not a medical cause-and-effect relationship.
Where Funeral Beliefs Change Meaning
| Country or Culture | Documented Variation | Meaning | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | Cover the mirror after a death | Avoid seeing the deceased person’s ghost | Folklore record from Burnfort, County Cork |
| China / Chinese tradition | Remove mirrors from sight when the coffin is present | A coffin reflected in a mirror foretells another family death | Traditional custom described with variation between Chinese communities |
| Ireland | Stop the household clock after a death | Funeral-period prohibition; explanation not stated in this record | Recorded in Burnfort, County Cork |
| United States | Stop all clocks until after the funeral | Prevent the deceased from returning at the death hour | Folklore record from Saint Clair Shores, Michigan |
| Ireland | Carry the corpse out feet first | Avoid another death in the family | Recorded in Dromiskin, County Louth |
| Ireland | Do not sweep the wake-house; do not throw sweepings outside | Funeral taboo; consequence not stated | Recorded in Carrigtohill, County Cork |
| China / Chinese tradition | Do not dress the deceased in red | The deceased may become a ghost | Traditional funeral belief; observance varies by community |
| Ireland | Leave a window open when a person dies | Allow the soul to leave the house | Schools’ Collection record from County Donegal |
| Ireland | Remove the coffin lid outside before bringing the coffin indoors | Leaving the lid on foretells another family death | Recorded in County Leitrim |
| United States | Do not let tears fall on the face of the dead | Bad luck | Detroit folklore record |
| Jamaica | Remove the deceased person’s clothes from the room where death occurred | Otherwise the deceased returns nightly to try them on | Jamaican belief recorded by the University of Detroit Mercy |
| Ireland | Turn the table or bedding after the corpse is coffined | Shift the next death to the other side of the family | County Kerry folklore account |
| Ireland | Do not kick the threshold when leaving a room containing a coffin | Bad luck | Recorded in County Galway |
| Ireland | A corpse remains limber instead of stiffening | Another death in the family is expected | County Leitrim death-and-burial belief |
| Ireland | Fall into a grave | The person who falls will be the next to die | County Meath informant in the Schools’ Collection |
| Ireland | Fall in the graveyard on the funeral day | Next to die unless the person tastes clay where the fall occurred | County Roscommon record with a counter-action |
| United States | Do not count cars in a funeral procession | Each counted car costs a year of life | Italian-American family tradition recorded in Kalamazoo |
| United States | Rain falls on the corpse or funeral | Favorable omen for the deceased | Folklore saying recorded in Detroit |
| Ireland | Rain falls on the funeral day | Lucky or favorable for the corpse | County Roscommon wake and funeral record |
| Ireland | A grave does not sink in the churchyard | Another death in the family is expected | Schools’ Collection record from County Westmeath |
| Ireland | Do not leave a grave open overnight | Burial taboo; consequence not stated | Recorded in County Leitrim |
| Ireland | Spit on a grave | The person will be the next to die | County Mayo folklore record |
| Ireland | Take something out of a graveyard | Spirits will follow the person | County Mayo folklore record |
| Ireland | Wear something new at a funeral | Bad luck | County Leitrim folklore record |
| Ireland | Four men of the same name carry out the coffin | Lucky funeral arrangement | County Roscommon record; other Irish records give surname-based versions |
| United States | Touch the deceased’s hand at a wake | Prevent dream haunting | Detroit folklore record |
| Ireland | Touch the deceased before leaving the wake-house | Avoid later dreams or thoughts of the deceased | Recorded in Drumkeeran, County Leitrim |
| Philippines / Filipino tradition | Perform pagpag before returning home | Keep a spirit or harmful influence from following home | Filipino funeral folklore documented by a university archive |
| United States | Visit a public place before going home | Confuse the curse of death so it does not follow | Lebanese-linked tradition recorded in Detroit |
| United States | Stop somewhere else before going home after a funeral | Misdirect lingering spirits | Chinese-American family belief recorded in Los Angeles |
| Philippines — Remontado | Burn the house formerly occupied by the deceased | Prevent the dead from haunting the living | Older Remontado death and burial practice |
| Philippines — Remontado | Spread ashes on a window tray on the fourth night | Disturbed ashes indicate that the spirit returned | Older Remontado post-burial practice |
| United States | Enter the home backwards after a funeral or cemetery visit | Prevent the deceased’s spirit from following inside | Trinidadian-American family tradition recorded in Arizona |
| South Korea | An ill person avoids attending a funeral | Spirits may follow the person and mark them as next to die | Daegu-linked family belief collected by USC |
| United States | Pregnant woman warned not to attend a funeral | Claimed danger to the unborn child | Irish-family belief recorded in New York City in 1967 |
Different Rules Address Different Forms of Funeral Danger
These records do not point to one universal theory of funeral luck. Some treat the dead as capable of returning, following, or haunting the living. Others turn an accidental event—a fall, a grave that does not settle, a body that remains limber—into an omen of another death. A third group consists of narrow prohibitions whose consequence was recorded simply as “bad luck” or was not recorded at all.
Regional detail matters. Irish archival collections preserve different rules from individual counties and informants, while United States folklore archives often document beliefs carried within particular immigrant or family networks. A practice recorded from one family, district, or cultural community should not be expanded into a claim about an entire country.
📚 Roots of Belief
- Dúchas — Superstitions Regarding Death and Burial — National Folklore Collection, UCD record from Burnfort, County Cork, documenting mirror covering, stopping the clock, and other death customs.
- Dúchas — Superstitions, Omens of Luck, Ill Luck, Etc., Dromiskin — National Folklore Collection record stating that a corpse was carried from the house feet first because doing otherwise was said to bring another death in the family.
- Dúchas — Wake and Funeral Customs, Carrigtohill — National Folklore Collection record from County Cork documenting the prohibition on sweeping during the wake and throwing the sweepings outside.
- Dúchas — Customs regarding the Dead — National Folklore Collection entry preserving County Meath-linked beliefs about clocks, mirrors, feet-first removal of the corpse, and falling into a grave.
- University of Detroit Mercy — James T. Callow Folklore Archive, Funeral Superstition — University folklore record from Kalamazoo documenting an Italian-American family belief that counting funeral-procession cars shortens one’s life.
- University of Detroit Mercy — The James T. Callow Folklore Archive — Detroit folklore record stating that touching the deceased person’s hand prevents the dead person from returning to haunt the visitor in sleep.
- University of Detroit Mercy — James T. Callow Folklore Archive, Lebanese Custom — Detroit record describing a visit to a public place before returning home from a funeral so the curse of death will not follow.
- University of Detroit Mercy — James T. Callow Folklore Archive, Stopping Clocks After a Death — Michigan folklore record giving a supernatural explanation for keeping household clocks stopped until after the funeral.
- University of Detroit Mercy — James T. Callow Folklore Archive, Funeral Rain Saying — Detroit folklore record preserving the favorable saying about rain falling on the corpse.
- University of Detroit Mercy — James T. Callow Folklore Archive, Funeral Superstition — New York City record of an Irish-family warning concerning pregnancy and funeral attendance; the same entry reports a healthy outcome after the warning was disregarded.
- Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China — Chinese Customs, Superstitions and Traditions — Government-hosted cultural overview documenting traditional funeral beliefs concerning mirror reflections, red clothing on the deceased, and variation in observance among Chinese communities.
- USC Digital Folklore Archives — Pagpag — University folklore archive entry documenting the Filipino practice of stopping somewhere after a wake or funeral before returning home so a spirit does not follow.
- National Commission for Culture and the Arts — The Remontados of the Sierra Madre Mountains — Philippine government cultural account documenting Remontado beliefs concerning the bibit, burning the deceased’s former dwelling, and using disturbed ashes as a sign that the spirit returned.
- Dúchas — Local Wake and Funeral Customs — County Roscommon record stating that a person who fell in the graveyard on the funeral day was said to be next to die unless the person tasted clay at the place of the fall; it also records funeral rain as lucky.
- Dúchas — Customs and Beliefs Regards Death etc. — County Leitrim collection documenting the limber-corpse omen, the coffin-lid warning, new-clothing bad luck, and the prohibition on leaving a grave open overnight.
- University of Detroit Mercy — James T. Callow Folklore Archive, Crying Taboo — Detroit folklore record stating that tears falling on the face of the dead bring bad luck.
- Dúchas — Beliefs and Customs Associated with Death and Burial — County Westmeath record stating that a grave that does not sink is a sign of another death in the family.
- Dúchas — Pisreoga, Béal an Mhuirthead — County Mayo folklore record documenting the limber-corpse omen, the warning against spitting on a grave, and the belief that removing something from a graveyard causes spirits to follow.
- USC Digital Folklore Archives — Walking Home Backwards After a Funeral — Family folklore record describing backward entry into the home after a funeral or cemetery visit so the deceased’s spirit will not follow inside.
- USC Digital Folklore Archives — Korean Superstition: The Ill at Funerals — Daegu-linked family account describing avoidance of funerals by an ill person because spirits were believed able to follow and mark that person as the next to die.
- University of Detroit Mercy — James T. Callow Folklore Archive, Jamaican Superstitions — Record of a Jamaican belief that the deceased’s clothes should be removed from the room or the dead person will return nightly to try them on.
- Dúchas — Wake and Funeral Customs: Turning the Tables — County Kerry account explaining the turning of a table, mattress, or sheets as a way of directing the next death away from one side of a family.
- Dúchas — Pisreoga about Wakes and Funerals — County Galway collection recording wake and funeral taboos, including the warning against kicking a threshold when a coffin is in the room.
- Dúchas — Old Customs at Wakes — County Donegal record stating that a window was left open after death so the soul could leave the house.
- Dúchas — Wake and Funeral Customs, Bullach — County Roscommon account recording four coffin bearers of the same name as lucky and funeral rain as a favorable sign.
- USC Digital Folklore Archives — Heading Home After a Funeral — Chinese-American family folklore record describing a stop before returning home so lingering spirits are not led directly to the house.
- Dúchas — Customs and Beliefs in Drumkeeran and District in Connection with Funerals, Deaths, Corpses and Wakes — County Leitrim record stating that a person leaving a wake should first touch the deceased so the dead person will not later appear in dreams or thoughts.