the symbolic meaning behind mourners at baroness thatcher wearing the colour black

If you saw the funeral of Baroness Thatcher yesterday you would have noticed almost everyone wearing black. This is because black is the colour symbolically worn in Western society to represent being in mourning.

But why black… for this we need to look at the psychology of black and what it represents.

colour psychology
Black creates a protective barrier for the wearer to hide behind, protecting themselves from the outside world and any external emotional stress.  It enables the wearer to hide their personality, their emotions and feelings. No wonder it is the colour many choose to wear and over the years, in Western society it has come to symbolise the colour worn at funerals.

In some countries the mourning period is a year and black is the only colour you can wear. Some then choose to wear black for the rest of their lives. Wearing too much black or for too long can cause a sense of heaviness, oppression and hiding/retreating from the world.

If you would like to know more about the colour black check out my other blog posts.