The Mourning Heart
For generations, people wore black clothing, armbands, hatbands and other visible symbols after a death.
The customs varied, but their purpose was practical: they allowed the people around someone to recognize that they were mourning and respond with greater patience, gentleness and care.
Today, grief remains, but most of its visible symbols have disappeared.
Mourning Used to be Visible
A visible symbol of mourning.
The Mourning Heart communicates something that can be difficult to say:
I am mourning a death.
Please be gentle with me.
What does the Mourning Heart mean?The Mourning Heart is a small black enamel pin that makes mourning visible.
Wear it when you want others to understand what you are carrying without having to explain it.
It is not a request for attention or conversation. It is a quiet piece of information:
I am mourning a death.
Please be gentle with me.
There is no prescribed timeline.
Wear the Mourning Heart in the days immediately following a death, when returning to work or school, on meaningful dates, or whenever making your mourning visible would feel helpful.
It can be worn on clothing, a jacket, bag or hat.
When to wear it.
Offer a little extra patience and care.
Acknowledge their mourning without asking them to explain what happened. You might simply say:
“I see your Mourning Heart. I’m thinking of you.”
Then let them decide whether they would like to share more.
If you see someone wearing one.
A symbol only works when people recognize it.
The Mourning Heart is more than a pin. It is an effort to make space for mourning in public life again.
The more people who wear, share and recognize the heart, the more useful the symbol becomes.
Help us bring back visible mourning.
#BRINGBACKMOURNING
Purchase one Mourning Heart for yourself or choose a set to share with family members and others who are mourning.
Each heart arrives attached to an information card explaining what the symbol means and how others can respond.
Available individually or in sets of two and five.