Any Orthodox Christian knows for sure: according to the established tradition, a woman enters the temple with her head covered, which is a sign of her meekness and humility. Speaking about the origin of this tradition, they usually turn to the words of the apostle Paul, who in a message to the inhabitants of the city of Corinth said that during prayer the woman's head should be covered.
Orthodox Greek women don’t put a handkerchief on the temple: reasons
In Russian churches, this tradition, as a rule, is respected. For true believing women, it does not cause inconvenience in the same way as tradition does not recommend putting on trousers and short skirts in the church. However, you will not see shawls so familiar to our eyes in the Greek church. Deeply faithful Orthodox Greek women are present at the service with their heads uncovered. The only exceptions are elderly widows or Russian tourists. Even if a lady came to the temple with a hat, she takes it off. Many parishioners of the Greek church in trousers. Expressive Greek women are closer to European culture and consider trousers to be an integral part of the women's wardrobe, appropriate in any setting, including the temple.
As for the bare head, it has a completely justified historical origin. The liberation struggle of the Greek people against the Ottoman Empire left a significant mark in the history of this state. In the first quarter of the 19th century, not a single Greek woman had the right to appear on the street without a hijab. Violent Islamization provoked a protest among the population. Men and women gathered for services secretly, usually at night. There, women threw a hated shawl off their heads. And today in Greece, a head scarf is perceived as an element of Muslim culture.
The opinion of the priests
However, there is no direct prohibition to appear in the temple with your head uncovered in the Gospel. Today more and more often one can hear from Russian clergy a more tolerant attitude towards how their parishioners are dressed. Despite the fact that in the Russian church without a scarf there are usually only little girls, the church fathers are convinced that the main thing is still a sincere faith in the heart and soul of the woman with whom she comes to the temple and turns to the Lord.
