What is the national day of mourning this Monday?

The President of the Republic made the announcement on December 19 before the decree was subsequently published in the Official Journal. In support of the victims of Cyclone Chido which devastated the Mayotte archipelago, the national day of mourning decreed by Emmanuel Macron will take place this Monday. But what is a day of national mourning?

In the past, days of national mourning may have brought the country's activities to a halt. Or the closure of administrations or courts and the postponement, for example, of sporting events. This has not been the case for several years.

Flags at half mast

This Monday, mourning will be expressed via the symbols of the Republic. “There are few legal provisions on how these days should be held, but the flags are flown at half-mast on public buildings and buildings,” specifies the Vie publique site, attached to the Prime Minister’s office.

A minute of silence will also be held at 11 a.m. “All French people will be invited to worship at 11 a.m.,” said Emmanuel Macron when announcing this day of national mourning. Before specifying to the press that this “minute of silence” will be observed “in all public services and we will invite the population” to reflect.

“National mourning is not a ceremony, unlike national tribute and national funerals,” explains Vie publique. Fully financially supported by the State, national funerals represent the official tributes paid to a person upon their death. The most significant of all took place in 1885, when two million people attended the ceremony honoring Victor Hugo and his burial at the Pantheon.

Our file on the disaster in Mayotte

National tribute is also different from national mourning. It has long consisted of a tribute paid by the State to personalities who served France militarily. Since 2015 and the tribute paid to the victims of the attacks of November 13, it has extended to civilian personalities. It is the subject of an official ceremony at the Invalides or the Pantheon.