 In France, it was the custom for the mourning family to distribute largesse to the congregation immediately following the Office of the Dead ritual.As a consequence, distant relatives and other, unrelated, parasites would attend the ceremony, simulating great anguish and grief in the hope of, at least, being given food and drink.The practice was so widespread that these parasites were soon recognized as the personification of all things useless, and were considered to be archetypical simulators.