The Right Name for a Meal After a Funeral

The meal after a funeral is commonly called a repast. Funeral reception is a clear general alternative, while funeral luncheon fits when lunch is served. Merriam-Webster defines a repast as a meal, and one United Methodist congregation uses funeral repast and funeral luncheon for the same kind of post-service gathering (Merriam-Webster, Hollywood United Methodist Church).

Choose who will gather, what will be served and whether a specific tradition applies.

The Best Term Depends on the Gathering

There is no single name used by every family, region or faith tradition. The appropriate wording depends on whether a meal will be served, how formal the gathering is and what the family normally calls it.

Term	Best Fit	Main Distinction
Funeral repast	A meal after the funeral or burial	Traditional meal-focused term
Funeral reception	An open gathering with food or refreshments	Clearest general wording
Funeral luncheon	Lunch after a morning service or burial	Identifies the meal being served
Post-funeral gathering	An informal event or uncertain food plans	Neutral and flexible

A funeral repast is a meal shared after the funeral or burial. The term is especially familiar in many Black communities, although it is not limited to one community. The gathering might take place at a church, funeral home or private home (Dignity Memorial).

A repast does not have to be formal. It can be a seated meal, buffet, potluck or simple refreshments. The family determines the invitation list, setting and type of food according to its customs and budget.

Funeral reception is usually the safest term when communicating with a broad group of guests. It does not promise a particular type of meal. It can describe anything from coffee and snacks to a catered lunch or dinner. It is also useful when you do not know whether the family customarily uses the word repast.

Funeral luncheon is more specific. It works well for a church-hall lunch following a late-morning funeral or burial. If the food consists only of drinks and light refreshments, reception is more accurate than luncheon.

Post-funeral gathering is neutral wording for an informal event, especially when food is not the main feature or the arrangements have not been finalized. It tells guests that people will gather without implying that a full meal will be available.

Repast Means the Meal, Not the Funeral Service

The repast is separate from the funeral or memorial service. It usually refers to the gathering afterward, when relatives and friends can eat together, speak less formally and spend additional time with the family.

That distinction matters in notices and invitations. Writing that the funeral begins at a certain time does not tell guests whether the later meal is open to everyone. If all attendees are welcome at the repast, say so. If it is limited to relatives or invited guests, describe it as private.

The word can refer either to the food or to the gathering built around the food. A family might say, for example, that a repast will follow the burial. Guests will generally understand that a meal or meaningful refreshments are part of the event.

If no food is planned, reception, gathering or time of fellowship is less likely to create the wrong expectation. The family’s own customary language should still take priority.

Some Traditions Use a More Specific Name

A tradition-specific name should be used only when it belongs to that family’s actual practice. It should not be substituted simply because the service takes place at a particular venue or because some attendees belong to that faith.

Greek Orthodox Families May Call It the Makaria

In Greek Orthodox practice, the post-funeral fellowship meal may be called the Makaria, or meal of mercy. A Greek Orthodox parish describes it as a time for family and friends to comfort one another and share memories (Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene Greek Orthodox Church).

When the family and parish use Makaria, that is the appropriate term for notices and directions. If you are preparing material for a family without knowing its preferred wording, ask the priest, parish office or family representative rather than assuming.

Seudat Havra’ah Is a Private First Meal for Mourners

In Jewish practice, the Seudat Havra’ah is the first meal mourners eat after returning home from the funeral. It is a private meal for immediate family and is traditionally supplied by relatives, friends or the community (Chabad.org).

It is therefore not simply another name for a public funeral reception. A reception attended by a wider group and the first meal provided to mourners serve different purposes. Calling any post-funeral buffet a Seudat Havra’ah would erase that distinction.

Local and family usage should take priority in every tradition. A family member, clergy member or funeral director can confirm the wording that belongs in an announcement.

The Standard Spelling Is Repast, Not Repass

Repast is the standard English word for a meal. Repass is a different verb meaning to pass again or return, so funeral repass is not the standard dictionary spelling (Merriam-Webster).

The pronunciation of repast can make the ending difficult to hear, which may account for the alternate spelling in informal use. In an obituary, program or venue sign that you are drafting, use repast unless the family has given you different wording.

If a family deliberately writes repass in its own announcement, there is no need for a guest to correct the spelling publicly. Follow the language in the invitation when referring to the event.

A Wake Is Not Automatically the Meal Afterward

A wake and a repast are not interchangeable terms. Traditionally, a wake is a watch held over the body before burial, although food may be served and local usage varies (Merriam-Webster).

A repast, by contrast, identifies a meal associated with the period after the funeral or burial. In communities where wake is used more broadly, the schedule and location remain more reliable than the label alone.

Do not change a family’s use of wake if that is its established custom. When writing directions for guests unfamiliar with the custom, add a short description such as wake and refreshments or repast following the burial.

Clear Invitation Wording Prevents Confusion

An invitation or obituary should tell guests what follows the service rather than relying on the event name alone. Include the location, timing, invitation scope and whether a meal or light refreshments will be served.

For a reception open to everyone at the service:

A funeral reception with lunch will follow the burial at Grace Hall, 125 Oak Street. All attendees are welcome.

For a private family meal:

The family will gather privately for a repast after the service.

For an event with light food rather than lunch:

Please join the family for a reception with refreshments in the church hall immediately after the service.

For a gathering whose exact food arrangements do not need to be announced:

A post-funeral gathering will follow at the family home. Details will be shared with invited guests.

For a luncheon at a different location:

A funeral luncheon will follow the burial at Grace Hall. Please arrive after the graveside service.

The phrase all attendees are welcome removes uncertainty when the event is open. For a limited gathering, private, family only or invited guests makes the boundary clear without requiring an explanation.

If the event follows the burial rather than the funeral service, state that directly. Some guests may attend one part of the arrangements but not another, and after the service can be unclear when a procession and graveside committal intervene.

The same wording should be used consistently in the obituary, printed program, venue signage and messages to guests. Different labels can make one gathering sound like several separate events.

Guests Should Follow the Family’s Wording

Guests do not need to decide whether the event technically qualifies as a repast, reception or luncheon. Use the term shown in the obituary or invitation and follow any limits stated there.

An announcement that says private repast is not an invitation to everyone who attended the funeral. If the notice says that all attendees are welcome, guests may ordinarily proceed to the stated location. When the invitation scope is missing, ask the funeral home, clergy office or a designated family contact rather than placing the question on the closest mourners.

Food at a repast may be substantial or simple, so guests should not infer formality from the word. The family’s directions concerning arrival, clothing, children and participation take precedence over assumptions about the label. As with other matters of funeral etiquette, the family’s stated instructions should take precedence over general custom.

For general-purpose wording, funeral reception is the clearest choice. Use repast when the family recognizes that traditional term, funeral luncheon when lunch is specifically being served and a tradition-specific name only when it accurately describes the family’s observance.