From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Half-staff
or
half-mast
describes a
flag
being displayed at halfway up a
flagpole
or a ship's
mast
. This is done in many countries as a symbol of respect, mourning, or distress, or a form of honor, often with a
moment of silence
.
The flag does not always have to be flown at exactly the half-way point, sometimes it is acceptable to have the "half-mast" flag at slightly lower or slightly higher than the middle of the flagpole or mast. Originally, "half-staff" meant that the flag had to be flown one flag-width from the top to allow for the "invisible flag of mourning" to be at the top.
[1]
- ↑
Franklyn, Julian,
Shield and Crest: An Account of the Art and Science of Heraldry
(London: MacGibbon & Kee, 1961), 176