While you do not technically have to dress up, failing to do so may be interpreted as disrespectful to the deceased. An obvious exception would be if the hosts of the event have specifically requested more casual attire. Public mourning can involve a range of acts and practices. In some cultures, wearing clothing of a particular color after death is an act of public mourning. Wearing symbols of mourning is a similar practice. During times of sadness and mourning, it's normal for somebody to let others know how they feel. This expression isn't merely a way of calling attention to their pain. In various cultures, public mourning is a sign of respect for the dead. Some forms of public mourning can even be a way to respectfully express condolences . If you’ve recently seen some players wearing these armbands, it is guaranteed that they were wearing them in memory of a certain event. This we have already cleared up through the information above, but now let’s get into the events which you may or may not have witnessed recently, relating to such a tradition. Death of Maradona – Napoli A mourning band is one symbol of mourning that you may have seen without necessarily knowing what it is. If so, this guide should answer some of your questions on the topic. What Are Mourning Bands?

It really was a sad day, but in the years that followed, his legacy has remained and continued at the club through his other family members – something which is great to see. Liverpool – Hillsborough disaster

Black Armband (Remembrance / Respect)

So, which are the main occasions in which you might see players wearing such armbands in this day and age? Read on to find out. Officers should wear mourning bands when an officer from a nearby jurisdiction loses their life in the line of duty. They begin wearing mourning bands on the date of the officer’s death and do not remove them until after said officer’s burial.

Viewings are usually held a few days prior to the funeral and are scheduled to last for several hours. Often, because of their extended timeframe, it can be more convenient to attend a viewing than the actual funeral or memorial service. In addition to the funeral or memorial service, the obituary may make reference to a viewing, also referred to as a visitation or wake. This viewing is an opportunity to visit with the family of the deceased and see their mortal remains prior to the final internment. There are no official rules regarding how one should wear a mourning band. However, there are guidelines most police officers and departments generally agree upon. They include the following: Informal protest or activist groups also may choose to wear mourning bands. They may do so in the aftermath of an individual’s death if they believe said death represents an act of injustice, or they may do so to mourn the deaths of entire groups, such as minority groups or civilian casualties of war.Remember me when I am gone away / Gone far away into the silent land / When you can no more hold me by the hand / Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.” Chrstina Rossetti Along with law enforcement officers, members of other groups who put themselves in harm’s way to protect the public may sometimes wear mourning bands. They may not always perfectly resemble the mourning bands that law enforcement officers wear, but they have the same meaning. For instance, sometimes firefighters and emergency medical services providers wear their versions of mourning bands. Members of armed forces throughout the world may do so as well. What’s the Etiquette Around Mourning Bands? Mira qué bonita era (“Look How Lovely She Was”) by Julio Romero de Torres, 1895. [Image Credit: Wikimedia] Any law enforcement officer attending a police officer’s funeral if they were killed in the line of duty should wear a mourning band on their badge (if their badge is on display, whether they are in civilian clothing or a uniform) regardless of whether the officer whose funeral they are attending was a member of their department. They are to remove the mourning band when the funeral is over. Law enforcement agencies and officers were not the first groups to wear some form of a mourning band. Although there is no official consensus on the subject, many believe formally wearing mourning bands began sometime around 1770 in England.

People often ask what the difference is between a “funeral” and a “memorial service.” The answer really lies in whether the deceased is present physically or just in memory. If there is a coffin and a burial following, it is a funeral service. If the burial has taken place or the body has been cremated (with or without an urn present), then it is a memorial service. On occasion, the family may opt for a private funeral service and burial and a public memorial service at a later time. Death notices in newspapers or online at funeral homes will indicate to you what type of service you are attending and where the service will be held. What You Need to Do Before Attending a Funeral or Memorial Service Learning about the Death Officers should wear mourning bands on the day of a memorial service for members of their department who passed in the line of duty. Wear a white or light blue shirt with long sleeves and a collar. Ideally, it should be a button-down shirt. Law enforcement officers put themselves at risk to keep others safe. When they lose their lives in the line of duty, those who serve with them naturally want to honor the sacrifice they made. Wearing mourning bands has long been a common way they’ve come together to do so. The same dark suit requirement is also appropriate for wakes, especially evening wakes. (In my experience, perhaps because the work environment is what it is today, mostly people attend wakes rather than funerals these days, except, of course, when very close relatives or close friends are connected to the decedent.) There should be formality and respect, and a dark suit suggests that better than anything else. But if , for instance, the decedent was a member of a high school team or a member of a police force, firefighters’ brigade or nursing staff at the time of passing, it is quite appropriate for team mates or co-workers to wear their uniforms to indicate a sense of kinship and a recognition of the decedent’s life, values, spirit and commitment.King Charles III, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Sussex, Peter Phillips, the Earl of Snowdon, and the Duke of Gloucester appear in full dress uniforms and morning dress while walking behind Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin. [Image Credit: Wikimedia] The Wishes of the Family

A sheriff, chief of police, or similar authority (such as an agency director) can also instruct officers under their command or within their agency, precinct, or jurisdiction to wear mourning bands on days when they feel doing so is appropriate. Officers are to comply with this directive. An officer should wear a mourning band when an active-duty officer within one’s department loses their life in the line of duty. In Sweden this never happens or at least very seldom: Closed coffin, mostly sinks down to the cellar (if there is a crematorium in the building), or discretely taken away by the undertakers, after the service. Again, these are basic guidelines by which many agencies and officers should abide. However, some choose to modify them according to their preferences. As a late convert to baseball, one of the things that impressed me with the sport and made me see that there was much done withing the culture of the game that I could relate to was....the mourning bands and hatchments the estimable Lizzie quite rightly mentions.Nowadays, many obituaries feature a corollary that states something to the effect of “In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made in the deceased’s honor.” The obituary will then include a brief list of causes or institutions about which the deceased cared. The final arbiters of what should be worn at a funeral or memorial service will always be the family or friends hosting the event. It is entirely possible that the deceased was an extremely casual person who would not want the bereaved to dress up to honor them. In such cases, the hosts will make an alternative dress code clear. Mourning bands can come in several shapes and sizes. A basic mourning band is simply a garment or accessory that someone wears around a part of their body or on an important part of a uniform. Because a dark suit is the single most versatile suit that a man can own, you ought to have at least one in your wardrobe that is appropriate for a funerary service. Article When the practice first began in England, men and boys typically wore mourning bands. This may be because women in mourning during this period already wore certain types of clothing and thus did not need to wear mourning bands, as their attire already expressed that they had lost someone close.