Back in the old days before funeral parlors were the standard, people often kept the dead bodies of loved ones/relatives in their homes until the funeral. Since this was the case, many people found it absolutely imperative to cover all the mirrors in their home until the burial took place for two important reasons. One was so that the deceased’s spirit wouldn’t get trapped in the mirrors and be unable to go to the great beyond where they could find peace. The second reason was due to the superstition that the first person of the household to see their reflection in the mirror after the death of a loved one until the burial occurred would be the next to die. Friends or neighbors would come into the home and cover up the mirrors before either one of these could take place. My grandparents had a home whose backyard abutted against a cemetery. When my grandfather died, they held the funeral in their house, (I don’t know if the mirrors were covered up or not). After the funeral, his coffin was carried through the backyard and into the cemetery where they had an open grave that was waiting and he was laid to rest. Most convenient!
