Why do we bow our heads during only a portion of the Nicene Creed?

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Newman10

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I have noticed that when the portion of the Nicene Creed “By the power of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the Virgin Mary and became man”, people bow their heads.

I have caught on to this action, but why? Why is it only during this part people bow?
 
The current direction is to bow, as in at the waist, not just our heads at the words of incarnation. On some special solemnities (Christmas and Annunciation) we genuflect. It is to give special emphasis on the miracle of God becoming man for our salvation.
 
Newman10 said:
I have noticed that when the portion of the Nicene Creed “By the power of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the Virgin Mary and became man”, people bow their heads.

I have caught on to this action, but why? Why is it only during this part people bow?
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We don’t bow our heads, we bow from the waist. This is because the Incarnation is when Divinity united with Humanity and the possibility of the Salvation of Mankind was made possible.
 
Interesting…
I’ve never seen anyone do this at an OF Mass, only EF.
(However I always sit at the front and I guess my eyes are usually closed.)
 
Reg_Smith said:
Interesting…
I’ve never seen anyone do this at an OF Mass, only EF.
(However I always sit at the front and I guess my eyes are usually closed.)
Click to expand...
Also, at an EF mass you would genuflect rather than bow.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
We don’t bow our heads, we bow from the waist. …
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No, we should also bow our heads.

From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM):
“275. … a. A bow of the head is made when the three Divine Persons are named together and at the names of Jesus, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of the Saint in whose honor Mass is being celebrated.”

The first bow of the head in the Nicene Creed will be:
“We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, …”.

The second bow of the head will be during the “bow of the body”, when we say “the Virgin Mary”.

The GIRM can be looked up at romanrite.com/girm.html .
 
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