Soccer players observe a minute of silence before a game.
A minute of silence is an expression of mourning and condolences performed with silence, prayer, reflection or meditation for a certain time. The minute of silence is considered a gesture of respect in homage to a recently deceased person or as a commemoration of a tragic event, in the same way as the raising of a flag at half mast.
Its origin dates back to 1919. The Australian soldier Edward George Honey, who fought for the British army in the First World War and resided in London, proposed on May 8 of that year that the British kept two minutes of silence to 11:00 am on November 11 as a commemoration of the first anniversary of the armistice treaty, signed a year earlier. In this way, he considered that a respectful homage was paid to the deceased during the conflict. The idea came to King George V, who supported the measure.
Although the usual duration of this gesture is one minute, it may be considered to shorten or increase the duration depending on what is being commemorated. At the moment it is done, people remain silent, and sometimes perform other gestures such as standing, lowering their heads, removing their hats and / or praying. There will be a person who is responsible for beginning and ending the time of mourning, and many times people conclude the moment with a general applause. Although the most frequent thing is to simply remain silent, there may be other symbolic acts, such as accompanying him with music.
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