Black Tie etiquette.

Slidin Fast

OK. It's 12:30 in England, I have to go to bed but I just wanted to throw this one in.

I went to a JW funeral yesterday. Not one black tie in the whole congregation. No witness would dream of wearing a black tie to a funeral. I have checked and can find no reference to black ties in the literature.

So is it the same everywhere? Is there a secret initiation that nebies are put through with tie etiquette for ocaasions of mouning? Is my bright orange number with candy apple flames acceptable?

How does it work?

finally awake

I have no idea - I've never seen a black tie at a funeral - dub or not.

Band on the Run

I thought you were supposed to wear black to show respect. Look at those photos of Queen Victoria. I would find it very insulting to see a bright colored tie.

Left in the Cold

I believe close family should wear black. Others may certainly wear black as well, but other darker color (navy, maroon, etc.) are okay. Red is never, ever okay. When my grandmother passed in 2004, I needed to buy my mother a dress so I did researched this very thing. I'm in the U.S. other countries might be different. Also, IMO Queen Victoria took the whole mourning thing very far. She wore black for the rest of her life.

Amelia Ashton

"Worldly people" generally wear black to funerals as black is the accepted colour of mourning and sadness............... which is the reason why "God's chosen ones" TM choose not to wear black.

That's the explanation I was given by one of the annointed.

Broken Promises

Also, IMO Queen Victoria took the whole mourning thing very far. She wore black for the rest of her life.

In many European countries, it's common for the widow to wear black for the rest of her life. It's just that in our modern Western society it's not so common any more.

Queen Victoria is also the one who introduced wearing white for brides.

Rob Crompton

I've officiated at scores of funerals and my experience is that wearing a black tie at a funeral is nowhere near as common as it used to be. Very often it will be only the undertaker's men who are

wearing them.

Rob Crompton

http://snigsfoot.blogspot.com

DesirousOfChange

With our society as casual as it is today (jeans and shorts at church), you're lucky if everyone who attends the funeral even has an appropriate suit or dress. Not uncommon for pallbearers to not have a suit or tie anymore and in fact, most funeral parlors sell suits for the deceased, as many do not have one.

Of course, all the JWs will at least own a suit for the occasion.

Doc

Chariklo

In the part of Britain where I live, and also in my family, which is from the south-east and in East Snglia, wearing black, black tie, or as close to black as you can get, it normal and the accepted thing. That of course is in the non JW world.

JW's here also wear black and black ties, though.

These days, it is becoming increasingly a custom for some families to ask that black not be worn, and some even ask for bright colours, to celebrate the life of the deceased, especially when it is a child or young person. Still, though, I am used to black as the norm. When my sons go to a funeral, they always wear as dark a suit as possible and a black tie.

When I first read the title of this thread, I thought it was talking about what is normally known as "black tie" here, which is traditional evening wear, otherwise known as "penguin dress"! (Don't think for one minute that it is normal evening wear here any more, of course it isn't, but it is still required on occasion.

Slidin Fast

Thanks for your comments everyone. In my part of the UK, Yorkshire, black ties are commonly worn at funerals but never by JWs.

My memory of the reason going back in the mists of time was that death was not a sad thing. There is going to be a ressurection right? In no time a tall we will all be holding hands on our

way to stroking a panda or flossing a lion's teeth to cleaan the hay out fom it's dinner. Why would we be sad, why would be cry?

Black Tie etiquette.

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