You should feel free to attend only one or both events at your own discretion. What To Do If You Are Not Attending the Funeral or Memorial Service 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. Officers should wear mourning bands on the day of a memorial service for members of their department who passed in the line of duty.

Funerals and memorial services are where the living interact to honor and mourn the dead. It is a time to pay extra attention to etiquette when emotions and feelings are so raw. Keeping the following guidelines in mind will ensure that you behave appropriately and respectfully. Officers who wear such mourning bands are usually members of the same department as those who lost their lives. However, this is not always the case. Further down, this guide will touch on circumstances when it may be appropriate for a law enforcement officer to wear a mourning band despite not having served directly alongside the fallen officer whose death they are mourning. It will also cover the length of time officers wear mourning bands following a passing. When Did Mourning Bands Get Their Start? When there is the opportunity to do so, express your sympathy and condolences in a simple way, such as “I’m so sorry for your loss. This must be a difficult time for you.” Do not use interaction at a funeral as a way to talk about your own grief or experiences. 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.

Law Enforcement and Mourning Bands

If you’re an officer who is unfamiliar with your department’s guidelines, feel free to ask your superiors for more information on this topic. They will likely appreciate the fact that you take the matter so seriously. The sleeve band is from three and a half to four and a half inches in width and is of dull cloth on overcoats or winter clothing, and of serge on summer clothes.... 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.

There were also strict rules about the formality and types of clothing that were to be worn at mourning events like funerals or memorial services, dictated by factors such as one’s relationship to the deceased, one’s status, and even one’s profession. 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.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 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. If you are attending a funeral and do not own a suit, it is still possible to craft a decorous outfit. In general, your goal ought to be to minimize drawing attention to yourself by blending in with the other attendants as much as possible. Article 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.

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. If you are not a member of the deceased’s family or close friends, do not sit in the first few rows of seats. 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. 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: Mira qué bonita era (“Look How Lovely She Was”) by Julio Romero de Torres, 1895. [Image Credit: Wikimedia]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 the only suit you have is a navy blue pinstripe, then yes, that is what you should wear. However, pinstripes say “business,” and there should be nothing businesslike about a funeral. Solid charcoal gray is better. Based on local, national, and religious traditions, thege body of the deceased may or may not be on display. Perhaps you’re attending the funeral of an officer you knew, and you want to show respect to the other officers at the funeral by wearing your own mourning band. Your intentions may be good, but some law enforcement officers tend to consider mourning bands a special symbol of collective solidarity that reminds them they belong to a unique fellowship. 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