Even Shakespeare at one time called black the color of mourning. In Western culture, it is customary to wear black at funerals as a sign of grief for a deceased person. The custom dates back to the days of the Roman Empire, when citizens wore a dark wool toga on days of mourning.
During the Middle Ages and Renaissance in Europe, they wore the color of sorrow as a distinctive sign. At the same time, the reason for the mourning could be both personal and related to some general event. When the massacre of the Huguenots took place in France - the famous St. Bartholomew's Night - and the French ambassador arrived in England, the English Queen Elizabeth and her courtiers dressed in black. Thus, they paid tribute to the sad event.
Not in all European countries the color of mourning was black. So, in medieval France and Spain, white was worn for a long time as the color of sorrow. The Americans followed the example of the British.
England is the birthplace of modern mourning
By the 19th century, mourning and its surrounding customs in England had become a complex set of rules. This was especially true of the upper classes of society. The entire burden of this tradition fell on the shoulders of women. They had to wear heavy black clothing that concealed their bodies and a black crepe veil. The outfit was completed with a special cap or hat. Grieving women were also required to wear special jet ornaments.
At the same time, it was considered normal for widows to mourn for four years. Removing black from oneself ahead of time was considered an insult to the deceased, and if the widow was young and beautiful, it was also sexually defiant behavior. Friends, acquaintances and relatives wore mourning for as long as the degree of kinship allowed.
The custom of wearing black during mourning culminated in the reign of Queen Victoria. She was in mourning until the last days of her life. This is due to the fact that the royal lady greatly mourned the death of her husband, Prince Albert, who had died early. The entire population of the country followed the queen's example.
Over time, the rules became less stringent, and the duration of mourning was reduced to a year. Black dresses began to be decorated with lace and ruffles.
Black symbolism
In addition to Queen Victoria, couturier Coco Chanel also contributed to wearing black. She immortalized black dress as a standard of respectability and suitable for almost all occasions, including for funerals.
Currently, in European countries, the tradition of wearing black or dark colors is preserved as a mourning. Many people consider it indecent to wear clothes of any other color at funerals. It is also very common for women to wear sunglasses to hide tears and puffy eyes. Men also wear black suits.
The main meaning of black during mourning is to emphasize the grief associated with the loss of a loved one or the death of significant people.
