Are black veils only for women that are married?

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carmelitegirl93

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Ok well I got a veil from EWTN’s wabsite and it is black and I love black so I got black but I put up a pic of myself on facebook with my veil on and some one said that,

Isn’t it true that married women wear a black veil and a white veil unmarried women?

now is that true?
 
I asked my mother about whether the color of veils meant anything and she said no. I don’t expect anyone to take that as a definitive answer (although she is the right age to know), but it’s the only data point I have. I’d be interested to hear a more definitive answer too.

–Jen
 
It doesn’t really matter, unless you’re getting married. :confused:

Is it a mantilla? You can wear any color you like. It’s admirable that you’re covering your head in church. 🙂 Good for you.
 
It’s all a matter of local custom. In today’s world, where headcovering is so rare, the comments about your veil would run more to, “Wow, look, a lady wearing a veil,” than to “Oh, a black veil. She must be married.”

Unless, of course, you attend Mass in the Extraordinary Form. Then you could ask some of your fellow Mass-goers about the customs.

Betsy
 
The women who cover their heads at the local Melkite church are all married–and they wear white veils.

There is a tradition in some Eastern Catholic and Orthodox churches that only married women or widows cover their heads.
 
I have learned that white veils are for women who have never married, tan/beige are for married women, and black are for widows.
 
The question is too generic. In what context are we speaking? Veils worn by religious or lay people?
 
w2bp88 said:
I have learned that white veils are for women who have never married, tan/beige are for married women, and black are for widows.
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Simply a matter of local custom. That’s all.

The last word is what’s available at the store.
 
In Latin countries, which is where the mantilla originated there was a custom that virgins never wore anything but a white mantilla and widows never wore anything but black. Married women wore everything in between. Maybe that’s where that’s coming from.

This was a common practice on in the Latin countries: Francis, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Romania.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
Thankfully, that rule does not translate to some religious orders. Carthusian Choir Nuns (all consecrated virgins) wear black veils.
 
We have married ladies who wear white veils at Mass all the time. I don’t think it matters.

But I agree that I have seen more widows wearing black ones than not.
 
The colors were really a Latin custom, from the Latin countries. It does not translate outside of that culture. I’m not sure that it’s even observe in those cultures any longer.

As to nuns, many nuns and sisters adopted the clothing of widows. That’s why so many wore black habits with black veils. Those who wore other colors such as Cistercians, Carthusians, Dominicans, Franciscans and Carmelites, often wore a black veil as a symbol of being dead to the world. But it was not a symbol of mourning.

My point is that the original Latin custom does not translate into contemporary culture.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
In many parts of the United States in the pre-Vat II era, the style and colors of veils was influenced by Italian immigrant women who brought their customs here. Many were widowed early in life and it was a tradition to wear all black, including the veil. This custom was found throughout Europe as well. Not surprisingly, many seamstresses were Italian and made veils for weddings and eventually general Church wear.

White, of course, is a symbol of purity and so white veils became popular for girls and unmarried women who were assumed to be virginal.

Growing up in the pre-Vat II Church, I know from personal experience that veils were not the only head-coverings. Kerchiefs and hats were commonplace. Veils came into more frequent use with mass production and distribution. You could pick them up in just about any corner drug store or five and dime. There were chapel veils and triangular mantillas, usually in black and white, but also pastels. I still have a couple from my childhood that my mother made. They were kerchief style veils with a ribbon tie.

A few years ago I started making my own out of vintage lace that I found in the estates of these Italian dressmakers. If you’d like to take a look, here is my mantilla veil page. Still experimenting!
 
My parish has a group of ladies in the Soldarity Of Mary, MOST of them are married, and there are even a couple of younger unmarried and 1 teenager. They all wear white the 1st Sunday of the month. I started wearing a veil Easter 2008. When I bought it, I 1st selected white, thinking not being a widow but exchanged it for black. My reason, at that time even those ladies were not wearing any thing, I was pretty much the only one and didn’t want to be a “white flag” so to speak. My hair is dark and felt it would suit me better. I started wearing one after I started watching EWTN on a regular basis. At first my husband was extreamly upset about it. He’s still “re-learning” his faith since he pretty much stopped attending after his confirmation until we had our 1st child. Now he “credits” me that more & more ladies in our church are wearing one now. If you watch EWTN masses & benedictions you will see an array of ladies wearing differant colors. Do what feels right to you. God bless!!
 
JReducation said:
In Latin countries, which is where the mantilla originated there was a custom that virgins never wore anything but a white mantilla and widows never wore anything but black. Married women wore everything in between. Maybe that’s where that’s coming from.

This was a common practice on in the Latin countries: Francis, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Romania.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
Click to expand...
I agree, that is what my understanding was. I am Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, so I have heard this, however I will say that among Portuguese unmarried girls may also wear pastel colours (although not as common).
 
I am 25 and started wearing a chapel veil January 1, 2008. I asked around web forums and such to figure out which color veil I should be wearing. In searching this forum and other wbesites, I found out it doesn’t really seem to matter. Somewhere I read where women wear white or black based on the liturgical season (I am not really into the other colors). So during seasons of penance (Advent, Lent, Fridays, or days I’m feeling particularly penitential) I wear black, and other days I wear white.
 
I’ve never heard of women wearing black veils only because they’re married. I usually wear a white mantilla. I wore a black one for a month after my father’s death; I did it because I was in mourning.

Edit: I personally feeling better wearing white because I am still unmarried.
 
I just booked a new black mantella. I’m still unmarried. I think wearing a black one for pennance and a white one during feast days is good! 😃 But I’ll keep the black one for a start. As I’m dark-haired, It’ll be less ostentatious… I’m not used to that custom. But I’m glad to be able to do it in Traditional Churches. 😊😊🙂
 
Veils are a matter of custom, not Church discipline. Therefore, the custom can change and even disappear and reappear. Just look at religious women. Many communities NEVER had a veil. Therefore, the veil is not expected of them. The two most popular, though not the only ones, are the Daughters of Charity and the Sisters of Charity. The discipline of the veil only applies to some people, not to everyone. Everyone else can wear what they want.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
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