By Ashika George

What is noticeable about the Virgin Mary, other than her solemn expressions and lowered gaze? A simple, plain blue veil. Contrary to what some may perceive of Christianity, women can be found veiling across many churches. The Orthodox and Catholic churches have women who veil in various ways. Some wear veils that only loosely wrap around the hair while others choose to cover the entire hair. Veils range from lace to cotton and come in many colours.

Growing up, the church I attended regularly required women and girls who had taken their first Holy Communion to veil during services. The latter would be for us girls who were 13 and older. They couldn't be removed until the final lines of the service were spoken. I wasn't a huge fan of having to cover my hair while the men were able to stay as they pleased. It felt unfair and the difference between us and other churches where women didn't veil was glaring. I sometimes wondered if it was a cultural difference – my family's church is Indian while other churches I visited were predominantly white.

I thought veiling was part of the 'Christian feminine'. But I also used the veil as a way to hide. I would wear the veil so that I could discreetly doze off during the service. Or I would use the veil to hide the fact that I wasn't singing the hymns or saying the liturgy. I tried to turn it into a positive for me at the time to cope with the church I was forced to attend. Either way, I didn't really want to veil, and I sure wasn't veiling for the right reasons.

I didn't regularly think of veiling beyond the church. It wasn't until I watched a YouTube video discussing whether women in the church should veil that I was led to new ideas. Veiling is a woman's personal conviction. If we feel compelled to veil out of our own choice, then we can. St. Paul talks about veiling in 1 Corinthians, seemingly adamant that women who don't veil are committing a sin. What a lot of people miss in that verse is that Paul mentions that a woman's own hair is given to her as a covering. The cultural specifics of Paul's time and location don't require a universal application.

Since last year, I've noticed on TikTok that more Christian women are adopting veiling as a practice. The veil acts as a symbol of faith, prayer and worship. I've seen women who wear the veil full-time and women who wear the veil during prayer and/or church. This surge in Christian veiling caused me to question veiling again. There has been positive reception in the comments section in the form of fellow Christians, Muslims, and other women supporting each other in their respective veiling practices and choices regarding whether to veil or not. Christian women show autonomy in how they express their faith.

I've been growing my hair long for a few years now. Growing up, it was often short and barely made it past my shoulders. Now, it sits not too far from my waist. I also really loved the Corinthians verse idea about a woman's own hair as her covering. My personal conviction and approach to Paul’s verse became clear: I will use my own long hair as a covering. So, I've been taking better care of my hair's health and letting it grow long. I’ve seen other women on TikTok talk about how we Christian women can use our hair as a veil, which has been validating.

I switched to a new church after lockdown with a mostly white English congregation, where veiling is completely a choice. I saw one member proudly veiling during a service. No one cared that she was veiling. The meaning of choice is understood in that church.

What about women who struggle with hair health or choose to style their hair as they wish? God understands. That our character reflects as much of the loving God we worship is more important than aesthetics. Femininity also comes in many forms. Our vicar at my new church is a woman and keeps her hair short, as do many other elderly women in the congregation. In fact, they are some of the most faithful people I've met. Similarly, women who veil also display great faith, with the veil as their chosen symbol to represent their worshipping of God.

Having long hair as a Christian woman and letting it serve as my own veil has been liberating. A veil is simply one of many forms of worship. I feel, in my own way, that I'm embracing my femininity and honouring God. I feel content and have let go of my worries. If anything, Jesus would accept me as I am because He says, 'Come as you are'.

At the end of the day, veiling is a choice and whether or not a Christian woman veils does not diminish her faith or her femininity.