Probably, absolutely all people, even those who are not believers, know that when entering a church building, a woman must cover her head. Handkerchiefs are now often provided free of charge in churches. This is very convenient, since when you impulse visit a temple, you usually don’t have them with you.
But where did this tradition come from? Why do women cover their heads in church, but men do not? What explains this requirement? These questions often arise among those who are faced with the need to wear a headscarf, but do not want to do it.
Should you cover your hair everywhere?
The question of why women cover their heads in church is often caused by sincere bewilderment of those who have visited churches outside of Russia. For example, it is quite difficult to explain to foreign tourists the need to use public headscarves. Women not only do not understand why this is needed, but also refuse because of the likelihood of contracting any infections, for example, fungal infections, or for fear of catching lice.
Indeed, hair covering is not required everywhere, even within exclusively orthodox Christian denominations. For example, in Greek chapels, cathedrals and churches, it is quite possible to observe women praying, whose heads are not covered by anything.
However, this is not at all connected with Christian traditions, but with the peculiarities of historical development. For some time Greece was under Muslim rule. At this time, laws required all women to wear hijabs or burqas, regardless of their religion. Entering the church, Greek women immediately got rid of the hated clothing they hated and remained bare-haired. With the passing of Muslim rule, the tradition of remaining bareheaded in the temple remained.
There is no need to cover your hair in Catholic churches, wherever they are. Although in some places it is customary to come to Mass in hats with a veil and elegant scarves, these, as in the case of Greek Christian women, are customs that have developed outside of Christianity.
Which scarf to choose for church
In Rus', there was an interesting custom of wearing scarves to services, the colors of which corresponded to the days of the church calendar and repeated the color of priestly robes. Perhaps someone in our time will want to follow this. Here is a list of these colors:
- The color of Easter is red or white. Women wore such scarves throughout the 40 days of the holiday.
- White ones were worn at Christmas.
- During Lent, a dark color was chosen. Black, dark blue, purple.
- For the Feast of the Life-Giving Trinity and on the Day of the Holy Spirit, green ones were worn. Green is the color of life.
- All the feasts of the Mother of God were blue.
- On ordinary days, they wore yellow scarves, the color of a simple, everyday priestly robe.
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What is the argument for covering your hair?
Quite often, when asked why women need to cover their heads in church, people who understand religious subtleties answer that the Apostle Paul spoke about the need for this.
Indeed, in one of the apostle’s letters there are words about the need to cover the head during worship. However, why women cover their heads in church has nothing to do with faith in Christ itself.
During the formation of Christianity, there were many cults whose ministers shaved their heads bald. These included the cult of Aphrodite, which was very widespread in the Mediterranean, and many others. Having believed in Christ, the priestesses were embarrassed by their appearance and did not want to stand out during meetings. The solution to this issue was the parting words of the apostle, who recommended that all women cover their heads with scarves. This eliminated the possibility of singling out specific women from the crowd and embarrassing them or expressing reproach to them.
Thus, the answer to the question of why women cover their heads in church is not related to faith, and the procedure itself is advisory in nature. That is why in Catholic churches hair covering was never required of parishioners.
How was this tradition explained in Rus'?
A scarf covering the hair gives women modesty and humility. In addition, during paganism, the hair of Slavic women was always loose during rituals, holidays and ceremonies. Hair is also one of the main materials used in various divinations.
These are some of the reasons why women cover their heads with a scarf in church. In addition, the scarf covers one of the attractive features of appearance. In other words, it eliminates things that might distract other worshipers.
The tradition of covering hair at the entrance to a church in Rus' was established with the introduction of “Domostroy”. If before it, being in a temple without a headscarf was condemned, but allowed, then after this set of rules came into force, covering one’s hair became mandatory.
Why do men take off their hats in church?
When entering any room, every man is required to take off his hat. This serves as a sign of respect for the owner of the house and demonstrates respect to those present.
When visiting church, a man, taking off his hat, shows his defenselessness before the face of God, which is a sign of trust. In the temple, he should give up thoughts about war and repent of his sins. Also, a removed hat indicates that all people are equal before God, who does not care about social status.
There is also a theory that in the past men were forced to take off their headgear because it was a helmet. It was made of iron, which means it could be a weapon, which is unacceptable to bring to the temple.
Before visiting church, all parishioners should take care not only of the hat, but also of the outfit as a whole: bright, vulgar things are unacceptable
What is written in Domostroy?
“Domostroy” is a collection of regulations and rules relating to the organization of the way of life and everyday life of Russian people. This set of regulations appeared in the 15th century and was the actual consolidation of the way of life that the majority of the population already adhered to.
The rules included in this collection ordered all women to enter the temple only with their hair covered. However, this set of instructions did not regulate in any way what exactly should be used to cover one’s head. This was the reason why a woman in church with her head covered could wear either a rich kokoshnik or a simple headscarf.
Should I cover my head or not? 1 Corinthians 11:1-16; 11:30
There are two opinions in the churches of Christ, the first says that women in the assembly of saints should cover their heads with a scarf , and that this is a commandment of the Lord. The second opinion is exactly the opposite of the first; Christians who adhere to this view say that women in the assembly of saints do not need to cover their heads, they just need to look modest and feminine.
It's no secret that a woman has always been a weak and subservient creature, especially in the east, and especially in ancient times. Leadership and priority have always been occupied and occupied by men, of course, if the culture, traditions, foundations, morals of the area, the region where this was welcomed and cultivated allowed it.
Now we understand that there were societies where matriarchy reigned, but, as a rule, there were few such societies and cultures, and due to his superiority (physical), the man was the head of the woman at all times.
In light of the above, let's now look at what Paul writes about in 1 Epistle to the Christians of Corinth in chapter 11 from verses 1 to 16?
1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Cor 11:1).
In the first verse, Paul says that he would like the Christians of the city of Corinth to be like him. They did everything the same way as he, Pavel. Imitated what? The answer is obvious, in faith, in love, in patience, perseverance, modesty, in humility, ... we can continue this list, but the answer is obvious, he wanted those to whom he writes this message to imitate him.
2 I praise you, brothers, because you remember everything I have and keep the traditions as I handed them down to you. (1 Cor 11:2).
In the second verse, Paul praises the Christians of Corinth because they, for their part, remember everything that they were taught by Paul and strictly adhere to the teaching that they were taught by Paul. Although, as we can see, this rather refers to some Christians of this church or, as an encouragement to the Christians of this church. Since in chapter 1 or 3 earlier, Paul condemns the Corinthian Christians for their incorrect behavior in Christ.
3 I also want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of every woman is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. (1 Cor 11:3).
In verse three, Paul again reminds us of the differences between men and women. But there are differences in terms of seniority and dominance. According to Paul, God comes first, then Jesus comes, then man, and woman closes the chain. And such hierarchy is not accidental, if it is described in many places in the Bible [Eph 5:23; Eph 1:22; Col 3:18; Col 1:18; 1 Tim 2:11; 1 Pet 3:5; ...], then it is clear that this is an institution of God.
Paul says to cover your head.
4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered disgraces his head. 5 And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered disgraces her head, for it is as if she had been shaven. (1 Cor 11:4-5).
In verses four and five, Paul talks about what every man should look like and what every woman who has accepted Christ should look like. Paul says that a man should have his head uncovered when praying or prophesying, and a woman should be covered during the same activities, that is, have a scarf tied around her head.
In this passage, it is interesting to answer yourself on several points that catch your eye when reading this passage.
1) First, Paul says here that a woman should have her head covered, and some in the Christian congregation think so. But is it?
Most likely, Paul does not mean a woman who is directly in the meeting of Christians at the time of prophecy or prayer. Since in the subsequent chapter 14 he writes the following: “Let your wives remain silent in the churches.” Moreover, the following passages support this statement [1 Tim 2:11-12; Gen 3:16]. Therefore, could a woman pray or prophesy in church, since it was supposed to be a public performance with the attributes of a leader? And as we can see from [1 Cor 11:3] and [1 Cor 14:34] a woman in the church cannot be a leader!
2) Secondly, if a woman cannot be a leader in the church, then where should she pray or prophesy? The answer is obvious, in the world! That is, at home with children, alone, while preaching to unbelievers, in the company of women [Acts 21:9; Acts 2:17; Acts 9:36].
3) Thirdly, what does it mean when Paul says that a man should not have a head covering, and a woman should have her head covered? In scripture we do not find such passages anywhere else, but we do encounter other passages about decency and modesty in clothing, about the hierarchy of the sexes, about who has an inheritance in the Kingdom of God. If you think about it, is it a strict necessity to be dressed like this or a tradition of the ancient world?
By the way, I once had to attend a funeral, and at that time it was -20 degrees below zero outside, and there was also a strong blizzard, which made it seem even colder. Everyone wore hats when bidding farewell to the deceased. Well, I took off my hat, as tradition dictates when saying goodbye to the deceased. They also told me: “Wear it, you’ll get sick.” And no one except me took off their hats.
Or another example: once I had to attend a service on a Sunday, and the service took place on the street, in the open air. I was still recovering from my illness. Although it was summer and everyone was without hats, I was wearing a baseball cap, since it was a little windy and cool, especially if you stood for a long time, and even after a cold. I never took off my hat during the entire service, and at the end I put on a hood, as a strong wind blew and it began to rain.
Example: a paralyzed Christian is lying down, his brothers and sisters can come to him and conduct a Divine Service with his participation, while he will not look appropriate from the point of view of Scripture, in only shorts, under a blanket, cannot raise his hands to the sky, cannot bow head and knees.
What can we say from these three examples? Does Paul teach literalism?
Strict compliance with its instructions, which are not relevant in the 21st century, since fashion has changed? Or is it the external side of ritual norms that is important for Paul, and not the internal? Throughout Scripture, more is said about the inner component of a Christian woman. Also about her modesty in clothing. But in only one place does Paul mention covering the heads of women in the church. Several conclusions can be drawn from this:
- That it was a tradition of those times for a woman to walk with her head covered.
- Whatever you have come to, what you have thought of, live according to that rule [Philippians 3:16; Rom 14:14; Titus 1:14].
- God doesn't care whether your head is covered or not. He doesn't need you to be sophisticated about it. Rather, He cares about the state of your mind and heart while worshiping Him, and not only during worship in the congregation.
Paul says that he allows a woman not to cover her head with a headscarf.
6 For if a woman does not want to cover herself, then let her have her hair cut; and if a wife is ashamed to be shorn or shaved, let her cover herself. (1 Cor 11:6).
In verse six, an interesting point, Paul says that he allows a woman not to cover her head with a headscarf , but only if she is shaved bald.
Thus, Paul still allows a woman not to cover her head under certain conditions. Although many may argue that this is a mandatory action. However, as we see, you can not cover yourself, but simply shave your head.
This verse very well reflects that this is not a commandment, but a custom of the time.
7 Therefore a man should not cover his head, because he is the image and glory of God; and the wife is the glory of the husband. 8 For man is not from woman, but woman is from man; 9 And the man was not created for the wife, but the woman for the man. (1 Cor 11:7-9).
The three subsequent verses tell us and tell us about the creation of the first people, about their origin. And about how, why, why, for whom and who was born at the very beginning of existence. We can read this story from the first chapters of the book of Genesis in the Old Testament.
10 Therefore a woman should have on her head [the sign of] authority [over] [her], for the sake of the Angels. (1 Cor 11:10).
In verse ten, Paul talks about the sign of authority over a woman. If you don’t go into details, you can see that a scarf or veil on a woman’s head in ancient times served as a sign of her submission, humility and chastity. But if we go into detail, this verse is difficult for us to understand because of its lexical form and the word of Angels.
We can only guess which Angels Paul is talking about in this verse.
11 Yet neither is man without wife, nor woman without man, in the Lord. 12 For as the wife is from the husband, so is the husband through the wife; still - from God. (1 Cor 11:11-12).
Further, Paul continues to develop his thought and says in verses 11 and 12 that in the Lord everyone is equal, that in God there is neither male nor female, that we are all, men and women, dependent on each other and cannot exist without each other .
Should all women cover their hair?
Until the mid-fifteenth century, there was a custom according to which only married women, girls and teenagers, and children covered their heads when entering the temple; they did not hide their hair. However, the set of rules and norms of the Domostroy way of life prescribed that all women, without any exceptions, should cover their heads. In this regard, a tradition arose of putting white scarves on girls. And girls of marriageable age began to wear beautiful large scarves embroidered with patterns, which could be thrown over their shoulders when leaving the temple.
However, Domostroy’s requirement did not take root everywhere. In the southern parts of the country, a custom has been preserved according to which girls and children did not hide their hair. However, they braided their hair tightly; it was considered unacceptable to enter the temple with loose hair.
In Little Russia, the people directly associated why a woman should cover her head in church with demonism and witchcraft. Therefore, girls there began to use scarves with the onset of menstruation. This was very convenient and practical, since by the presence of a scarf one could understand whether it made sense to send matchmakers to a specific family. That is, the scarf was a kind of sign indicating that the girl was ready for marriage.
How to tie a scarf correctly
Hair has always been considered a symbol of female beauty and has attracted attention. At any time, it was not customary to wear voluminous hair when visiting a temple. Extravagant persons who violated this requirement were simply not allowed into the church. This tradition has been preserved. Hair is neatly styled. A scarf is tied on the head or worn:
- snood - a hood-shaped headdress covering the head and shoulders, made of silk chiffon;
- stole - a large scarf that covers the head and shoulders.
Parishioners wear church scarves in a special way. Fancy shaped bows and complex shaped knots are excluded. You can wear a headdress according to the old Orthodox custom - cover your forehead with a scarf, and fasten the edges under the chin with a pin.
Young girls and women can throw a light scarf over their heads, throw the ends behind their backs and tie them there around the neck with a loose knot. Silk scarves are not tied; one or both ends are thrown over the shoulders or secured with modest hairpins. Shawls, stoles, scarves should not fall off the head during prayer, distracting the believer and other parishioners from prayer and communication with the Lord.
What do the priests say? Should you hide your hair?
Paradoxically, the Christian Church has never officially required women to cover their hair. Wearing headscarves is associated with local customs, way of life, historical moments and other similar circumstances.
However, the position of a particular clergyman, the rector of the temple that the woman is going to visit, plays an important role. Many priests do not require head covering, emphasizing that this is a personal matter for the believer. But there are those who adhere to the position of the apostle and believe that it is appropriate to hide the hair in church, especially if the hairstyle is extravagant or stands out in color.
It is also necessary to take into account what is customary among regular parishioners in a particular church. Established traditions must be respected. And although no one has the right to force a woman to wear a headscarf, before defending your freedom of choice, you need to think about why you attend church - for prayer or to demonstrate yourself.
Symbolism of flowers
Liturgical literature does not contain explanations about the symbolism of the colors used, and iconographic originals only indicate what color should be used when painting the clothes of a particular saint, but do not explain why. The symbolism of flowers can be determined based on a number of instructions from the Old and New Testaments, interpretations of John of Damascus, the works of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, as well as the acts of the Ecumenical and Local Councils.
The established canon of colors for liturgical vestments consists of: - white (symbolizes the divine uncreated light). - the seven primary colors of the spectrum of sunlight, of which white color is composed (i.e., all the colors of the rainbow - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet) (in fulfillment of the words of John the Theologian - “there was one sitting on the throne... and a rainbow around the throne” (Rev. 4:3-4)), as well as black (symbolizes the absence of light, non-existence, death, mourning or, conversely, renunciation of worldly vanity).
Thus, you need to have several holiday scarves of different colors. And you will need another handkerchief on duty, no matter what color - for any dirty work, on which stains are not visible.
