Handkerchief for the temple: why you need it, what to wear, how to tie

The rule regarding the fact that a woman should put a headscarf on the head in church, there is not one century. In the modern world, the presence of a skirt is not so obligatory, it can be replaced by trousers. But with regard to the fact that women's hair should be hidden from prying eyes, traditions do not change and are a must.

Legend

There are several versions of why a woman should wear a scarf. One of them says that long ago people could come to the temple in any clothes. That did not always bring joy to God. Therefore, he decided to send a message, motivating the introduction of a certain dress code. One night the girl saw a dream in which it was said that if she would attend the temple in a scarf and skirt, then all her prayers would be heard. In addition, she will have an angel-patron, who will help in every way in life. And these garments will help you to know her among the other girls. It's easy to guess that for the next visit to the church the girl chose a long skirt and a headscarf for the temple. To the astonished questions of others about her appearance, the girl told about her vision.

Since everyone wanted to get what they asked for, the tradition of putting on a kerchief and a skirt spread very quickly and became the norm for everyone.

The Apostle Paul

It was with his words that the tradition began to go to a woman with a covered head. The handkerchief symbolizes her submission to her husband. He is a sign of power. When entering into marriage, a woman takes on new responsibilities. Now she is in charge of the house, keeping calm and peace in it. She is responsible for the children and her husband before God. During the wedding in the church, the headscarf must completely cover the bride's head. He is a symbol of humility and consent to accept new responsibilities. And also a scarf on the woman's head speaks of her consent to be a faithful wife.

And it was believed that without him, it would be shameful for a woman to be in God's house, to pray for something, and to apply herself to the icon and the cross.

The apostle said that a woman should either shave her head, or cover her hair with a handkerchief. Paul's recommendation quickly became a tradition that has survived to this day.

Other versions

People come to the temple in search of peace, for joint prayers and conversations with God. That nothing distracts from this, it is required that the clothes should be as strict as possible. The woman has attractive parts of the body, which can distract the sights and thoughts. Therefore, they must wear long skirts and closed blouses. Hair was one of those intimate features that it was only allowed to see her husband. That's why the handkerchief in the temple - to cover your hair. And in worldly life, a woman was supposed to cover her head. It was also believed that it receives energy from the earth, and that it was stored in the body and did not escape through the vertex, it is necessary to create a barrier.

On men, the opposite rule applies. Before entering the temple, they must remove the headdress. By this they demonstrate their respect and full trust in God. Since stripping his head, they take off their full protection.

Earlier, when wearing different headgear was extremely popular, it was possible to understand from them what status their owner has in the society. Since the house of God did not recognize the social and social hierarchy, entering it, one had to forget about its importance in worldly life. The headgear was shot, because everyone in the church is equal. This rule was important during wars, since the enemies on the field were not to be enemies in the temple, since this place is free of them.

The opposite approach

It is interesting that not all Orthodox churches support the duty to put on a woman a kerchief for the temple. For example, in Greek temples, women are required to enter only with their heads uncovered.

In the Ukrainian city of Akhtyrka there is a temple in which there is an image of the Mother of God with a head uncovered with a handkerchief. In it, women also go without hats.

Since the duty to cover a woman's head is controversial enough, there are opinions that this is the norm of a society that can be changed. Therefore, in some churches, girls do not wear handkerchiefs, since parishioners adopt other traditions concerning appearance.

Color of scarf

Women who are little familiar with the rules of church etiquette do not know that the choice of color and ornament for the temple is important.

So, secular ladies who enter the temple only on the occasion of some event, it is recommended to have at least three options for this headgear:

• Pastel light colors. Can be monophonic or with a dull ornament, for example, in a flower. It is supposed to be worn on the occasion of the holidays. You can stay on a simple white kerchief.
• A monochrome dark handkerchief is tied to the head on the occasion of mourning and on the days of fasting.
• An ordinary handkerchief, of any color. Can be monophonic or with ornament. It will be required if you need to go to church on a typical day.

Who is much closer to the church and visits her constantly, usually has in his wardrobe a whole collection of these headgear. For example, red color is actual for Easter and in the subsequent period before Ascension. On Palm Sunday and the days of the Holy Trinity a green kerchief is laid. And with the drawing "in the flower" is usually worn by women who help the temple and perform dirty work.

How to tie?

Not everyone knows how to tie a handkerchief to the temple. The most correct thing is to simply tie the ends under the chin. This method and the easiest. If it does not hold properly and falls, then you should wrap your neck around and tie it from behind. To do this, the headgear should have a sufficient length. If the product is short, you can cover their forehead and tie them behind. But to avoid complications, you can buy ready-made orthodox scarves. They resemble a hood and are fixed by special ties under the chin. In stores you can find a sufficient range of colors, so you can choose the option for any occasion. Usually, how a handkerchief is tied does not pay much attention. The fact of its availability is much more important.

Despite the fact that life has changed, for the believer and the person respecting the church there are traditional rules of conduct in it. They also apply to clothing, so women still wear a handkerchief for the temple, although some consider it to be an outdated tradition.