Head Coverings

[ErinIsSik]

Checking out the Seven Sisters made me wonder, at what age does one start wearing a head covering? I noticed the 5 oldest girls do wear one, while the youngest 2 don't. Do you have to start wearing one when you start menstruation? Wouldn't that be almost like an alarm going off to everyone in your community that you have reached that milestone?

[synchroswimr]

The families I've read blogging about that topic say they start covering when they accept Jesus. Candy's daughter (4?) started covering allegedly because "mommy was."

[Kaylee]

It depends on the family and tradition. In the Amish families I've known, the girls start wearing a small covering in church as babies, going to an adult-style covering around age 4 or so for church, and then between 13 and 16 full-time. Some allow girls who want or ask to do do so earlier. I have friends who are Amish-Mennonite and their group doesn't require it until the young women are 16, but most choose to start wearing one much earlier because it is what they family and community does. Their 8 year old covers most of the time, but is only required to for church. Rebekah said she didn't start until she was 16, because she liked her hair "down", but she had to wear it braided or in a bun then and not loose.

Among people who adopted it on their own and aren't part of a traditional plain group, it varies. Some expect their children to cover from a young age, basically as soon as they will keep it on. Others expect it once the child is old enough to understand why, or once they are saved or join the church (you won't see young children joining traditional Anabaptist churches, which may be why waiting until the teenage years is more common). A few see it as a symbol of submission to one's husband only, and don't expect it until the woman is married (or, in some cases, engaged/betrothed).

I wear a headcovering for worship (church services and private prayer & Bible study), but not full-time. If I had a daughter, I would not expect her to wear one until she was saved and understood the reasoning behind it (assuming mid-late teens), but would let her if she wanted to do so to be like mommy. I would prefer for her to choose to do so and wouldn't force the issue.

eta: As far as I know, the groups who do start covering as teens do not relate it to menstruation. They may say its because they are entering womanhood, but it's usually based on age and/or perceived maturity, not on when they actually get their period. The more normal plain people are not all about charting cycles and sharing your intimate details with everybody like some of the bloggers we talk about do.

[kittypie]

I grew up in Plymouth Brethren, and most girls started head-covering around age 12. We only did it in church. Ours were much like Catholics...a little round, doily-like lace thing, or a longer lacy scarf. Some of the "fancy" ladies wore pretty hats. I saw some pics from our church's 50 year reunion about 2 years ago, and noticed an absence of head-coverings on many of the women and I was quite surprised.

[GeoBQn]

One FakeJew blogger I read had a bad experience where she went to a church where they required head coverings for women. They said they required it on the website, but she didn't think it applied to children or visitors, then got in an argument when they kept insisting that her youngest daughter had to wear one. She kept saying, "My daughter doesn't wear a covering yet" and "We are just visiting." They ended up making her leave when she wouldn't comply.

plaintorahkeeper.blogspot.com/2012/01/our-visit-to-yahwehs-restoration.html

When I visit a house of worship, I follow whatever rules they have, like wearing a long skirt over my shorts in an Italian church or taking off my shoes in a mosque. It doesn't mean I have to believe what they believe, it's just a sign of respect.

[Kaylee]

When I visit a house of worship, I follow whatever rules they have, like wearing a long skirt over my shorts in an Italian church or taking off my shoes in a mosque. It doesn't mean I have to believe what they believe, it's just a sign of respect.

This. Tabby's kind of a special snowflake anyway though- she doesn't think rules apply to her (Sorry, I've just seen her turn her back on former friends and people who helped her out and do all sorts of catty stuff when people didn't agree with her or make exceptions for her). Her youngest actually does cover, so it would be her 15 year old that doesn't. Still, if the website said they were required, then she shouldn't have drug her daughter along knowing she wasn't going to wear one and expecting them to make an exception - way to lay on the guilt trip though, mom.

[alysee]

When I was growing up it was always done at Mass but then you had to be convicted to do so all the time. For me it was 10 for my sister it was 14. My cousins it seems to be around 7 or 8. I think it's a bit of an unconscious family pressure. When your friends or sisters have one and your the only one who doesn't, you just do it.