How to Liven the Mood at a Funeral

Funerals can be a bummer if the host isn't willing to kick the entertainment up a notch and keep everyone in a good mood. It's a tough gig, but here are a few things you can try to get people smiling and keep the mood light even around the corpse of a loved one.

- Break out the Twister mat!

People love Twister, I don't care who you are! Well non-amputees/paraplegic people love Twister, so this might not be the best thing to do at a funeral with loads of paralyzed people. Otherwise it's a great way for people to get to know each other and flirt a little while having a good time. I usually like to set up the game at the very start of the funeral and the winner gets to say the eulogy or something fun like that, maybe a gift certificate.

- Bobbing for apples!

Most people at a funeral won't be willing to bob for apples because it's not a conventional funeral activity, but the fact of the matter is, bobbing for apples is fun as hell. The reason I choose this activity is because if someone's crying a lot, the water will help wash away the tears and make them feel less embarrassed. Also after awhile the tub is full of a lot of different peoples' tears so it's very symbolic and touching all while being immensely fun.

- Encourage snacking.

Some people say eating at a funeral service is rude, but we all know that eating is a great way to relieve the pain of depression and sadness. Have ice cream bars, cake with tiny plates, and popcorn around for people to grab and eat while people are talking about the dead person. It will also help keep the overall energy level up so people can mourn better.

- Invite a clown or even several clowns.

It's really difficult to cry when a clown is sitting right next to you holding a balloon animal, unless he's also holding a machete and has threatened to kill you. Do some background checks on the clowns first to make sure that isn't going to happen. Clowns always liven the mood up, if not with appreciation for clowns, with collective hatred of clowns. Either way, the funeralgoers are amped up with pro or anti-clown sentiment which sparks discussion and opens up a dialogue among people which will ultimately bleed into discussions about the deceased.

- Play upbeat techno music and have someone dress like the Six Flags Guy and dance around.

This one's pretty self explanatory and is a last resort. If things are really going down the crapper you're going to want to get a giant boom box and play the song from the Six Flags commercial and have a weirdo dressed up like an old man do flashy breakdancing moves. If it works it's great and everyone's up and dancing the Harlem Shake at the funeral. If it goes bad, well you did the best you could to put the "Fun" in "Funeral" and you can go to the grave knowing that.