SouthernAngel's Much Ado about the Food

Much Ado About the Food

When a loved one departs for the pearly gates, there's much ado and not much time to get it all done. We've got it easy nowadays. We pay someone to handle the viewing, getting the headstone and casket, the burial, the food, etc. Well, not the food - paying a caterer to make and deliver funeral food to loved ones is more offensive to a Southern woman than wearing white after Labor Day.

Back in Granny's day, right after the death, the body was taken out and washed. It was never left alone; family members sat with the dead day and night to make sure the dead was really dead, and to keep the animals away from the body. Often damp washrags were put on the dead person's face and hands to preserve the skin's texture and color.

The room where the grim reaper visited was cleared out and scrubbed. All clocks were stopped, mirrors were covered, and all chairs were placed backwards against the walls. Failure to do this was a bad omen.

Male neighbors got to work digging the grave and making the coffin, and the womenfolk brewed strong coffee and prepared mountains of food.

When the house and body were sufficiently prepared, the body was laid out in a darkened room with no furniture - except for the backward chairs. The body was dressed in his or her Sunday best with flowers adorning the table and coins placed over the eyes.

The next day, funeral day, everyone gathered at the grieving family's house and cooked a huge meal. Afterward, the funeral began either there at the home or at the church with much preaching, scripture, prayer, and hymns. Crying and shouting was done in private because a funeral was a formal and dignified proceeding.

Afterward, the pallbearers brought the dearly departed to the cemetery where neighbors took turns filling in the grave and expressing condolences to the bereaved.

There was nothing like a death to bring the whole community together. Nowadays, funerals still bring us together, but we gather in the kitchen and let the undertaker handle the rest. When it comes to funeral food, there are some unwritten rules:

All food must be homemade
Meat dishes must be tender and kept warm
Veggies never appear alone, but must be baked in a tasteful casserole
Fruit (sliced - never served whole) is used for cleansing the palate between courses
Pies must be fluffy with no aftertaste
Cookies must be perfect - broken cookies are disrespectful especially if the crumbs fall on fine black mourning wear
The only drinks allowed are hot strong coffee and cold sweet tea (and an occasional hit or two of Jack Daniel's sippin' whiskey)

The rules on bringing food are more relaxed; we deliver our pies, sausage balls, and cookies:

As soon as we hear there's a death
To the family's house
To the viewing
And to the affiliated church for the funeral

Sure 'nuff, it's easy to let the undertaker handle the work when a loved one departs for the pearly gates, but Southern women know that a handmade ham biscuit and slice of pie will comfort your spirit today, and our foil wrapped casserole in your freezer will console you later. Filling the bellies of the bereaved is why there's much ado about the food.

Stay tuned for more SouthernAngel's much ado humor!