A minutes silence or applause?

[Mister M]

In the last few years I've noticed that when crowds or gropus of people remember those who have recently passed away, they start clapping.

 

I always used to remember people were asked to be silent as a mark of respect. I haven't got a problem with people clapping at public events where someone notable has died, I just wonder if it is because people feel uncomfortable with silences.

 

Does anybody know if applauding is a recent phenomenon, or has this convention existed for a long time and I've just failed to notice.

[scousemouse]

I think it is better to applaude someones life ie at stadiums etc, rather than the silence, as usually there are morons who will think it clever be disrepecrful and make a noise.

[rubydazzler]

I really like the idea of showing appreciation by applause rather than silence. It seems more in tune with the idea of celebrating the life the person lived rather than regretting the inevitable with reflectful thoughts and silence. Which as scousemouse observes is often interrupted by extraneous noise anyway.

 

I think it's a relatively new idea though.

[xfox3x]

I went to a funeral on Wednesday and one of the woman's nieces read 'Footsteps' ...some people clapped here and there...it was obvious that no-one really knew what to do.

I didn't clap as I always understood that you didn't clap at solemn or religious occasions, but I felt at a loss what to do!

[Mangoes]

More and more funerals today have become "happy" events. It is far better in my opinion to celebrate someones life rather than mourn their death. People will always do their mourning in their own time and in their own way anyhow. Enjoy funerals and mourn later in your own way. The dead would have preferred it that way.

[HeadingNorth]

The notion of celebrating the life rather than mourning the death is a good one, but I think the bigger reason, at sporting and major public events, is the one given by Scousemouse; if there's some idiot at the back who wants to heckle, nobody is going to hear him over everyone clapping.

[Plain Talker]

I think it is better to applaude someones life ie at stadiums etc, rather than the silence, as usually there are morons who will think it clever be disrepecrful and make a noise.

 

that's my take on it, too, scousemouse.

 

if the morons insist on shouting drunkenly, instead of showing respect for that minute of time, at least the applause will drown their idiocy/ rudeness out.

[Thorpist]

A minutes silence gives one time to reflect and remember the passing of someone.

Clapping I thought came in to overcome the noise of morons at football games.

The wake is where the past life is celebrated and remembered

[Thunzi]

At sporting events I prefer clapping, particularly if it is a 'hero' of the sport/club, the noise drowns out anyone wishing to cause bad feeling by being an idiot.

 

For things like remembrance day it should be a silence, as it is meant to be sombre and give people a chance to be reflective of what people gave up.

 

For funerals, I would guess I'd leave that to how the family wish it to be celebrated. Its not something you can really have an impact on.

[taxman]

As mentioned by others I think it depends on the "occasion" for want of a better word.

 

To commemorate a sporting hero or entertainment star clapping seems appropriate. To remember, for example, victims of a tsunami or act of terrorism then quite clearly it is not.