Do you cover your head in your spiritual tradition?

[Gaura Priya]

I began covering my head with a mantilla while attending Anglican High Mass for the first time, and I loved it. Given though that the practice died out in the 60's, and that the Anglican tradition used hats instead of mantillas, I do stick out (but it's Anglo-Catholic, so I do not feel as bad!).

Some women do find it strange though, but I would like to continue doing it for my own benefit. I found that covering my head during Mass helped me concentrate better on the service.

"For this reason a woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels." -- 1 Corinthians

By covering my hair during Mass, I am empowering myself, and putting on the garb of humility before Christ's Presence, and that humility becomes my power, my authority. Since all the angels (the powers of virtue) are present in Mass, I want to worship in the most reverent way possible.

Do you cover your head in your tradition? Hijabs, phags, veils, kippahs, kufas, etc.?

 

[Treks]

Dear GP

When I read that passage by Paul in Corinthians I read it to the end, and it seemed to be he was saying a woman's hair is her covering and not to fuss over the whole thing. But that might just be my interpretation. I feel its important to keep scriptural verses in context and not rely on one-liners.

In Sikhi we have a strong tradition of covering our heads. Whether this is just an Indian cultural relic invested in Sikhi or not I'm not sure, but I do agree with you that there is something... right... about covering our heads for prayer, ritual, ceremony or whatever. I personally don't feel like I'm doing the act enough justice being bare-headed. I'll admit, I study Sikh scripture with my head uncovered, but I won't actively pray or read with worshipful intent without covering my head.

What about men covering their heads? For men in many cultures, covering the head is an act of reverence, not just for women. Yup!

 

[Pastek]

Yes, when we pray we always have to wear it.
Even when we are praying alone at home.

 

[dynavert2012]

yes, it's preferable to wear something on our heads

 

[apophenia]

Do you cover your head in your spiritual tradition?

Yep.

“Life is a sh**storm, in which art is our only umbrella."
(spoken by character in a novel by Mario Vargas Llosa)”
― Mario Vargas Llosa

 

[Quintessence]

Contrary to popular belief, no, I do not wear a cone-shaped pointy hat while practicing my religion.

 

[Vinayaka]

Contrary to popular belief, no, I do not wear a cone-shaped pointy hat while practicing my religion.

There goes my visualisation of you.

Hindus vary from sect to sect. In ours, nobody does.

 

[BruceDLimber]

No: Baha'is needn't cover their heads, and I've only ever known of one who did.

Peace,

Bruce

 

[VajraYosid]

Beanie, bowler, sombrero.

 

[Caladan]

Sure, I'm an archaeologist. In my religion I wear an Australian Jacaru hat.

Fedora were saved for our ancient high priests, legend holds that one such priest wore it when battling Nazis and going on a quest to find the holy grail. But that is of course legend.

 

[dawny0826]

I began covering my head with a mantilla while attending Anglican High Mass for the first time, and I loved it. Given though that the practice died out in the 60's, and that the Anglican tradition used hats instead of mantillas, I do stick out (but it's Anglo-Catholic, so I do not feel as bad!).

Some women do find it strange though, but I would like to continue doing it for my own benefit. I found that covering my head during Mass helped me concentrate better on the service.

"For this reason a woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels." -- 1 Corinthians

By covering my hair during Mass, I am empowering myself, and putting on the garb of humility before Christ's Presence, and that humility becomes my power, my authority. Since all the angels (the powers of virtue) are present in Mass, I want to worship in the most reverent way possible.

Do you cover your head in your tradition? Hijabs, phags, veils, kippahs, kufas, etc.?

You do things for such lovely, meaningful reasons. I have the utmost respect for that.

I have never considered a head covering and never would, as I would feel very different. I may make unfair associations with head coverings - oppression, restrictions, etc. I have to speak in honesty. That's my association.

You actually provide a different perspective to consider, particularly since you do this by choice.

 

[Gaura Priya]

Dear GP

When I read that passage by Paul in Corinthians I read it to the end, and it seemed to be he was saying a woman's hair is her covering and not to fuss over the whole thing. But that might just be my interpretation. I feel its important to keep scriptural verses in context and not rely on one-liners.

Even when the context may not be clear in the Christian Scriptures, many of the older images of early Christian women depict them veiled during the Divine Liturgy. Mother Mary is always depicted veiled, as well as some of the earlier Christian women saints in history.

Saints Pepetua and Felicity
​

For the majority of Christian women, it was a custom for them to wear mantillas or hats to church. It was not until the 1960's that the practice died out due to modernism. Nowadays, it's very rare, but when worn for church, it is done as a choice rather than forced custom.

The meaning of covering one's hair was lost, but it is still done in a few churches left. You can see the remnant of the custom with the marriage veil! For the longest time in Christian culture, it was rude for men to wear hats to church, but proper for women to do so.

Jackie Kennedy and her sister at John F. Kennedy's funeral

 

[Tarheeler]

Most guys wear a kippah (at least while praying), and many women cover their hair as well. Orthodox women will often completely cover their hair, and I've seen many Conservative women wear full hats or scarves over most of theirs.

I've taken to wearing my kippah all of the time.

 

[Gaura Priya]

You do things for such lovely, meaningful reasons. I have the utmost respect for that.

I have never considered a head covering and never would, as I would feel very different. I may make unfair associations with head coverings - oppression, restrictions, etc. I have to speak in honesty. That's my association.

You actually provide a different perspective to consider, particularly since you do this by choice.

Thank you hun! I absolutely love it, simply because I do it out of choice and it has been part of Christian tradition for at least a thousand years. I totally understand the reference between head coverings and oppression. Many assume also that it has to do with fundamentalism or orthodoxy, which is definitely not me!

But sometimes customs make spirituality more appealing, such as wearing formal attire to church or temple. Customs should never be forced, and they, in my opinion, arose out of cultural usefulness, or to help explain spiritual views in a more tangible manner.

The symbolism of 'veil' or 'cover' is found in the Christian Scriptures. The Ark of the Covenant, for example, was veiled to keep apart the Holy of Holies from material conceptions. The curtain of the temple that was torn in the New Testament, is non-spiritual perception of reality, and spiritual reality of God, once separate, now brought together through the revelation of Christ (our Christ-nature, our true selves that are the way of truth and life).

A man humbles himself by removing his status and titles before God to be naked in awe and wonder before the Creator, and a woman humbles herself through the mantle of humility and covers the vanity of pride and external beauty.

Of course, this archetypal imagery seems archaic and old-fashioned, but it illustrates the heavy symbolism behind one tradition of many in the world's religions. Plus, I like the tradition! It's kind of quaint! I put no salvific merit in the tradition, but rather see its aesthetic value as part of the Christian culture and heritage.

 

[Gaura Priya]

Most guys wear a kippah (at least while praying), and many women cover their hair as well. Orthodox women will often completely cover their hair, and I've seen many Conservative women wear full hats or scarves over most of theirs.

I've taken to wearing my kippah all of the time.

Wow, that's great, hun! Kudos to you for wearing it all the time!

 

[Levite]

Most guys wear a kippah (at least while praying), and many women cover their hair as well. Orthodox women will often completely cover their hair, and I've seen many Conservative women wear full hats or scarves over most of theirs.

I've taken to wearing my kippah all of the time.

Yeah, this is about right. In the Orthodox world, guys wear their kippot all the time, and many also wear "secular" hats as well. In the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) and much of the center-right Orthodox world, women always have their hair covered: even if a woman appears not to have her hair covered, that means she's wearing a good sheitel (wig). In the Modern Orthodox world, many women cover their hair most of the time, but not all the time; and some only cover their hair at synagogue or other ritual occasions.

In the Conservative movement, only a few men wear kippot all the time, but it does happen. I have never met a Reform man who is not a rabbi who wears his kippah all the time. I have seen some Conservative congregations where most women wear hats or scarves at synagogue, but not that many, and mostly in the South, or in the New York area.

I wear a kippah frequently, but not all the time. But I always carry one with me, so I can put it on to say blessings or pray or whatnot at any given moment.

 

[Treks]

A man humbles himself by removing his status and titles before God to be naked in awe and wonder before the Creator, and a woman humbles herself through the mantle of humility and covers the vanity of pride and external beauty.

Very beautifully described.

 

[apophenia]

Sure, I'm an archaeologist. In my religion I wear an Australian Jacaru hat.

FYI ...
Jacaru is a word invented by RM Williams for their version of that style of bush hat.

The name is a corruption jackaroo, spelt ( that's right, spelt ) to look vaguely aboriginal. A jackaroo is an Aussie cowboy. Jack + kangaroo. The shielas ( politically correct ? debated ...) are called Jillaroos.

 

[Penumbra]

I began covering my head with a mantilla while attending Anglican High Mass for the first time, and I loved it. Given though that the practice died out in the 60's, and that the Anglican tradition used hats instead of mantillas, I do stick out (but it's Anglo-Catholic, so I do not feel as bad!).

Some women do find it strange though, but I would like to continue doing it for my own benefit. I found that covering my head during Mass helped me concentrate better on the service.

"For this reason a woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels." -- 1 Corinthians

By covering my hair during Mass, I am empowering myself, and putting on the garb of humility before Christ's Presence, and that humility becomes my power, my authority. Since all the angels (the powers of virtue) are present in Mass, I want to worship in the most reverent way possible.

Do you cover your head in your tradition? Hijabs, phags, veils, kippahs, kufas, etc.?

Personally, and this is just me, I'd probably take the opposite approach and make sure not to wear things over my head in those environments. Here's an expanded part of that verse:

A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.

 

[Gaura Priya]

Personally, and this is just me, I'd probably take the opposite approach and make sure not to wear things over my head in those environments.

LOL, yeah. I am absolutely against sexist interpretations of the Bible, and I take the meanings to be 'spiritual' or 'metaphorical' rather than anything literal in terms of modern application. But I understand how you feel!

My desire to do something so retro like this, is because of Tradition (that is, the customs, rituals and meditations passed down from early Christian history) rather than any Scriptural injunction. I try not to limit my religious source of wisdom and knowledge to any written book, as I find inspirational spirituality also from wise mothers and fathers of Christian monastic life, and from the traditions.