Did you know that funeral foods add a level of comfort similar to funeral cars for a bereaved family following a loved one’s death? A recent article in Mississippi’s Clarion Ledger publication looked at the foods used throughout the South to comfort mourners when a loved one has passed away. In that region, among many others throughout the nation, people bring out food every chance they get. In the South, though, there are certain “comfort foods” that seem to make their appearance at funerals more often than anywhere else.
Some of the most popular funeral foods throughout the South include potato salad, baked ham, jello salad, fried chicken, green bean casserole (my friend calls this “funeral casserole”) and, my favorite, banana pudding. It’s customary to “load up” the grieving family with this delicious food because it gives them the opportunity to mourn without worrying about cooking. The assumption is, according to the article, “They still need to eat!”
But funeral cars offer a similar comfort, too. It gives the grieving family the chance to be chauffeured around without worrying about actually driving. Funeral cars are made to be extra comfortable, too. They have extra space and soft seats that almost lure you off to sleep. I guess the assumption behind these ultra-comfy funeral cars is that, “They still need to get to the burial site.”
Does your family or region have any funeral foods that come out when someone passes away? If so, are they foods that you enjoy or do you stay away from them? That would be a fun topic to discuss below.