Have you ever had a fit of the giggles when at a funeral?

[Mileysmiley]

I was talking with a friend about this today .... a few years ago someone I knew lost their husband. We had been to the church and had returned to her house for the wake. I went into the kitchen to make some coffee and picked up a jar out of the cupboard. After boiling the kettle I put a heaped spoonful of coffee into two mugs and added boiling water and milk. We both took a big slurp and nearly spat it out ... what the f*ck is this? I had accidentally picked out a coffee jar that had paprika in it instead of instant coffee (why?). We then collapsed laughing about it when in walks the mum of the dearly departed husband. She looked at us in horror ..... we couldn't explain why we laughing uncontrollably and she just walked out in a huff. Just thinking about it now makes me laugh now.

Yes, at thre crem at my nan's funeral. She was Irish, so my mum had chosen Danny Boy as the track the coffin came in to, assuming it would be a gentle musical version. What actually came out of the speakers was an old crooner throwing his heart and soul into it (cd, no singers were offended btw). Mum and I bust out giggling, and couldn't stop. My sibling was furious with us both, which made stopping even harder!

Thinking about my beloved grandmas funeral always makes me laugh!
On the day of the funeral a good friend of mine got lost on the way to the house so we ended up diverting the funeral procession past where she was so she could follow us.

As she pulled in she was unaware someone had written something pretty obscene on the back of her car in the dirt.

So, completely oblivious she arrives at the crematorium to disapproving looks from most of my family. Personally I found it hilarious and know my grandma would have too.

Made what should have been a dreadful day that little more bearable. And we are still friends 15 years on!

Ive been to a funeral for a fireman, he was a larger than life character - OMG the stories told, designed to make us laugh, but in the trues pirit of rugby player therr were some WTF stories that you really wouldnt tell in polite company let alone at a funeral

At a funeral last year, someone 's mobile phone went off, and it was the Steptoe and Son theme. Lots of smothered giggles throughout the church.

Interring my mum's ashes. It was just me, my dad and my DH. DH and I had watched a black comedy a few nights previously that was something to do with swingers having pampas grass in their gardens. Walking towards the grave behind the undertaker - the plot next to it had a massive pampas grass growing on it. DH and I met each other's eyes and very nearly went. Then, after the little service, we were walking back up between the graves and there was a huge floral arrangement on one of them with a very prominent note saying 'From the neighbours.' DH pointed at the two graves either side and whispered 'I wonder if it's from this side or that?' I could have killed him (we'd have been in the right place!) but it got us all through a very hard, bleak day.

At the funeral itself, a very short-sighted neighbour of my parents' mistook my DH (40s, beard) for my dad's sister (80s, definitely no beard) - clasped both his hands and said 'You must be Margaret!' At the time it was mortifying all round but we did get the giggles about it afterwards.

My 2 ds's did at a great uncles funeral. They cuddled into each other so it looked like crying! They were mortified and still mention it!
When ds was asked to carry his dgm's coffin a while after he wasn't sure he could without laughing.
He did thankfully..
Maybe the pressure of knowing you need to remain sombre does something to you!

The vicar fell down the grave at my friends dad's funeral. It had been v rainy and the ground was very slippery. My friend said her dad would've loved it and her and her sister found it v hard to control their giggles.

A friend used to be a co driver on rally’s and had won several championships and completed on some big name events. All us motorsports mates went in together when one guys phone which he thought he had turned off decided to give another direction on his autoroute as we went in - could have been worse, could of announces he had reached his destination!

I think chuckling at funerals is fairly common - it’s the heightened emotions and sometimes they come out wrong. I know I have hideous difficulties at rememberance Sunday as well, same issue.

Does anyone remember the ‘giggle loop’ sketch from coupling (comedy program now 20 years old probably....)

I laugh at weddings and funerals, it’s awful. I think it’s the forced sitting still and concentrating that does it to me. The last wedding I went to, the groom said “I take you as my lawfully wedded wolf” and I just couldn’t control myself. Hysterical (silent) giggles for the rest of the ceremony and throughout the night. It was bloody funny though.

I laughed driving from my grandma’s house to the crematorium.

The undertaker had an incredibly strong South African accent and barked at me, “follow me but FOLLOW THE RULES OF THE ROAD”!

My brother and I were in fits of laughter, wondering what you could do to break the rules of the road, in a Micra doing 15 mph behind a hearse.

I think it's very common - it's the heightened emotions and tensions, and it's generally much easier to laugh than it is to cry!

i once lost it at a buddhist church service - id gone on a retreat and went to the public service.

prayers were said for bobby the dog who had lost use of his back legs and i totally utterly lost it.....as did the woman next to me and we made each other worse! so embarrasing!!! the prayers up to that point were all sombre and sad then - bushka - obby the dog...i have never belly laughed so hard in my entire life . luckily it sounded like i was crying and i pulled my scarf up around my face.....it was the funniest service ever and i really want to go back!

Yep. At my Aunt's funeral...just as the music ended as the last people filed in we all shuffled along to fit another relative in our row and as I moved my feet they made a horrible fart-like noise on the wooden floor. Glanced across at DH whose lips were twitching, as soon as we made eye contact we just dissolved. Shoulders shaking, desperately trying to hold it in, hopefully people thought we were crying! I've had my shoes make that sound before and have heard it happen to several others, it is not usually anywhere near that funny, but I think because of heightened emotions anyway we just lost it. It was awful!

Frenchfancie, yes, I remember that episode of Coupling! It was hilarious. Drippy Jane shouting “I’m not trying to get you into bed with my dead aunt!” in front of the puzzled neighbour.
Steve later telling the same neighbour “I’m going to a funeral”.

The neighbour winks and asks “An aunt, is it?!”
The lads trying to hide erections behind the coffin. The bitchy old relative handing round the sandwiches, proffering one to the coffin with a smirk “One for you, Margaret? Oh, no - you’re dead”.
The whole series was so cleverly done, especially the episodes shot from two or three different characters’ perspectives.

My uncles funeral many years ago now, the priest couldn't stop coughing, it was a really weird cough, and I just couldn't stop laughing. Proper fits of silent giggles. The looks my mother was giving me seemed to make it funnier.

This thread is so funny. Not so much myself but my sister in law laughs at any announcment of death. Think its a nervous laugh. When her partners grandad passed away she just laughed! Strange but funny.

Scout Parade. Minutes silence for the Patron of a group from another country (a member of their Royalty). My 6yo DD was holding our Beaver flag, along with 30 or so other flags lined up at the front. The bottom half of the pole fell off. I heard the collective intake of breath from all the other leaders. I tried to smother my giggles while working out if I could get to her without causing more disturbance.

The little star stood perfectly still without moving a muscle. As soon as the minutes silence was complete one of the District leaders just behind the flag bearers picked up the bottom pole and mended it.
(And we now always tape the Beaver flag pole)

Not a funeral but I remember being told my Great great aunt had passed away.

Lovely woman. Strongest sort you could ever meet.

Unfortunately, I was in the middle of watching Fawlty Towers at the time and my sister delivered the news with such a sombre expression - it was so juxtaposed to what I'd been watching I just laughed. DSis was clearly outraged and the more she showed this, the more hilarious it was.

Felt quite drained after I finished my laughing fit.

Not funerals, but at any wedding that has someone singing while the couple are signing the book. It’s usually someone they went to school with who’s quite a good singer but not good enough to be incredible . They’ve often been to stage school meaning they look around and make eye contact with people in a very earnest way. Sometimes with an air grab or a “look down, look away, look back with a wry half smile”.

That puts me in hysterics cos it’s just so fucking awkward.

A friend of mine had talked to her DC about funerals and really prepared them for attendance at her DF's funeral. All good. Except they sat down in the church and the first thing her 5 year old loudly said was "but what's in the box?" Swiftly followed by "why are you laughing Mummy, you said we were sad?"

This sounds awful but I'm finding these strangely comforting.

3 times! Once when the person doing the service kept getting the deceased’s name wrong, brought the house down.

Two others were close elderly relatives i adored and both funerals featured hysterical laughter and copious tears. I’ve always laughed at inappropriate occasions, I get it from my dad and the two of us together at anything happy or especially sad has resulted in mad laughter as well as sadness. It’s embarrassing but just one of those things we’ve had to live with.

It happens all the time. The passenger door fell off our ancient family car en route to my beloved grandfather’s funeral, and the sight of us arriving while more or less holding it on with our fingernails unsurprisingly set off our cousins, so the chief mourners, despite being genuinely grieving, were shaking with silent laughter throughout the ceremony. Fortunately, as pps have said, it could look like grief.