Marie Curie National Day of Reflection 2023: What is it, how to take part, when is the minute’s silence

A Marie Curie National Day of Reflection will be held next month, with communities across the UK encouraged to participate in remembering those who have died. The event, which will take place on March 23, is the third annual day of reflection on the anniversary of the first lockdown organised by the end-of-life charity Marie Curie.

The organisation said the day is a “one-a-kind opportunity to reflect on any death of a loved one, from any cause and at any time” and said this year will be significant with the deaths of a number of public figures, including Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September.

The event has received the support from celebrities including singer Sir Tom Jones OBE, actress Alison Steadman and Downton Abbey’s actor Jim Carter, who are urging the nation to unite for a National Day of Reflection.

Sir Tom said: “Losing someone you love is devastating – and it’s also something almost all of us have in common. Grief can so often feel very heavy, which is why Marie Curie’s National Day of Reflection is so important. It gives us all a moment in time to come together with our friends and families, to remember and celebrate the people who aren’t with us anymore.”

Jane Murray, bereavement services manager at Marie Curie Hospice, West Midlands said the day will allow people ‘feel supported and know they are not alone in their grief’. She said: “(This is) a day where anyone who has been bereaved, no matter how long ago or the cause, will come together to remember loved ones who have died.

“The national outpouring of grief following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II last September was palpable. People who themselves had been bereaved personally were united and used that time to grieve for their own loved ones. It was acceptable and encouraged.”

What is the National Day of Reflection?

Marie Curie launched the National Day of Reflection in 2021 as a day to remember those who died during the pandemic, and support those whose grief was affected by lockdown. Over 850 organisations took part in 2022, with a number of public figures supporting, including His Majesty King Charles III.

Now in its third year, a series of new free online events will be held on Saturday, March 18 and throughout the day on March 23, giving people more ways to connect with others.

The National Day of Reflection falls during Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal, the charity’s flagship annual appeal raising money to support the charity’s nurses, doctors, and hospice staff so they can continue to give people end-of-life care.

When is one minute’s silence?

A national minute’s silence will be held at midday of March 23, 2023.

How to take part in the National Day of Reflection 2023?

Marie Curie is urging schools, workplaces and communities to put up a wall as a place to celebrate the lives of loved ones by sharing memories, photos, poems, music, objects and anything else that connects them to those people.

An online toolkit can be downloaded at Marie Curie’s National Day of Reflection website 

with everything needed to prepare for March 23.