Veils & Hats: Is one preferable to the other?

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MagdalenaRita said:
Why is a plain headscarf okay? Just thoughts.
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I’m not sure a plain opaque headscarf is okay everywhere especially if it is a plain black or white veil coupled with modest attire. One might accuse such a person of pretending to be a religious…
 
Yes, definitely agree. I think that is why I like the lace veil or mantilla. It doesn’t give that impression.
 
I have found absolutely stunning veils online that cover the hair entirely. If I were to wear veil, I’d go for the complete coverup in different colors so it could match my outfit. However, I think it’s up to the woman whether she wears a hat or veil – unless the rules of the parish specify otherwise.
 
We are a military parish with people from all over the world attending. We see everything here at one point or another. I have noticed the majority seem to wear (or not wear) whatever styles are traditional in their family/cultural traditions.
 
I have been through this upthread.

But I will say this.

It’s nice to be reading people are not covering their heads at Mass due to the Biblical passage of Paul.
There are so many laws in his letters. We cannot argue for covering our heads because Paul said so, unless we follow his instructions, in his letters to a t.
And that would mean building parapets on our houses.

If people are covering their head due to modesty and not drawing attention to themselves, then it won’t matter if the covering is a hankie, as in pre Vat 2 days when our mothers stuck that on their heads for mass, at times. Or if the covering is the latest lace or a nice scarf.
The measure of prettiness of a covering won’t be coming into it. Because it will not be being worn as a fashion accessory.

In my Cathedral the type of headcovering is dictated by the individual culture.
Only religious veil and everyone else uses the terminology ‘headcovering’. But then we do have several religious communities who regularly attend Mass. As well as consecrated virgins who also veil.
 
Roseeurekacross said:
It’s nice to be reading people are not covering their heads at Mass due to the Biblical passage of Paul.
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Paul didn’t require women to cover their heads. He offered several arguments for why the practice is a good one and in the end said to follow local custom. It’s an often misinterpreted passage.
 
I have made the point regarding the passage:
For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head.
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I have hair that is quite legitimately described as “shaved.” It’s hardly disgraceful around here for a woman to do that. A bit unusual, but it’s not generally seen as a declaration of anything more than a distaste for doing my hair.
 
shaved heads are culturally very acceptable today. many people do it in solidarity to Cancer patients. There was no chemo in those days, Was there cancer? who knows?
we raise money for cancer research in shaving our heads. There is nothing immoral or disgraceful about this.

we must put everything in its correct context.

and again , if we were to take Paul literally and say we must do x y and z, we would all have to build parapets on our houses!
 
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I have a light green one like that style. When I attended my first TLM 20+ years ago, the lady who sat in front of me turned and said to me: “Oh sweetheart, you MUST have your head covered!”. She promptly pinned a Kleenex on top of my head before I could say anything.

Now I always have a veil, chapel cap or hat on for Liturgy.
 
How is a kleenex reverential? You use it for blowing your nose.
Besides, I was under the impression that headcovering at TLM was optional, if recommended. That was incredibly rude of that lady and she was lucky she didn’t try that stunt on me.
 
Well thanks a lot ladies!!!

I wore my usual head band/scarf (not for covering but just because I like headbands) and I was self-conscious the whole time! I thought people might think I was trying to cover and then judge me for not doing it correctly! Ridiculous!
 
I am not so sure about this marriage between fashion and what is a sign of humility…
 
My only concerns would be practical ones - hats can.block.the view of people around or be too hot for summer. Headscarves of most types would make me look like a granny (being short of stature and plump of figure).

Having said that, I was on holiday in Jerusalem a few years back. Women are expected to cover their heads when visiting the Western (Wailing) Wall and I had a rather nifty leopard print scarf to hand. Being surrounded by hundreds of bescarved women meant I didn’t stick out too dreadfully.
 
It’s not what’s on your head that’s reverential, it’s that your head is covered.

I have to say that when I was young and we were still covering our heads in church I never once heard anything about being reverential. It was a rule and we obeyed it. I started going to Mass when I was about 4 and from that time my parents made sure my head was covered. I had a hat when I was a little girl, as you can see in this photo from around 1960 (I would have been 7), a kerchief or bandana when I was a teen and I know that a couple of my friends wore baseball hats. Nothing was said about it because the point was having our head covered. A baseball cap was no less reverential than a tissue or glove pinned to your head.(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
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pensmama87 said:
When you attend the TLM, do you find that most/all of the women cover their heads? Our local one is probably about 60/40 covered/uncovered, which surprised me the first time I went, but even though I cover regardless of which form I attend I like that there isn’t pressure either way.
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I would say it is about 60/40 at the local FSSP parish. Definitely no pressure. I once went to the SSPX parish and it was 100 percent.
 
Phemie said:
It’s not what’s on your head that’s reverential, it’s that your head is covered.
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This was my experience.

Whatever the original, historical or religious reasons why women covered their heads while attending religious services and the kind of covering used, the only message that was passed down from adults to children was to make sure something was on top of your head. To fail to do so was akin to being “out of uniform”.

I can even remember have a certain amount of admiration for those who came to Mass prepared with emergency backup equipment such as Kleenix.

I can appreciate women desiring to wear head coverings but I guess I am puzzled by the emotions they bring out in those who chose to wear them. That is foreign to my experience.
 
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See the norm as far as women’s head covering in my home parish (Atlantic Canada) ca. 1966. This, I believe is a Confirmation celebration based on the fact that my youngest brother is one of the boys and there is at least 2-3 years difference in age between the kids. If it was First Communion they’d all be the same age.(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
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