Why should women wear a headscarf in church? Why should women cover their heads in the temple?

Why does a woman need to cover her head in church, but a man does not?

This tradition is based on the words of the Holy Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Corinthians, where he says that a man should pray with his head uncovered, and a woman, on the contrary, with her head covered. IN ancient culture women's hair was considered the most striking element feminine attractiveness, and covering them was a manifestation of feminine modesty. Greek hetaeras walked bare-haired, while respectable family women covered their heads, indicating that they belonged to their husband.

But there is another reason, connected specifically with spiritual practice: during pagan zeal, when priestesses or soothsayers fell into a frenzy, they often turned out to be bare-haired, as if demonstrating by this that they were so overwhelmed by mystical ecstasy that they did not worry about social conventions at all. The Apostle is careful that Christians in no way imitate such behavior - as he writes elsewhere, worship should be performed “with decorum and order.”

We live in a different culture where open hair does not evoke such associations, but it is important for us to remember the general meaning of the apostle’s instruction - the clothing of a believer (whether man or woman) should be modest, discreet and not serve as a source of embarrassment or temptation to anyone. In addition, keeping the customs established in the Church helps us tune in to prayer and express our reverence for the holiness of the temple and the Liturgy performed in it. Therefore, traditionally, religious men consider it inappropriate to wear a headdress in church, and women without a headscarf.

How, in an Orthodox country where suicide was considered a sin, was it possible for officers to shoot themselves in the temple to preserve their honor?

From the fact that Russia is an Orthodox country, it does not follow that all the customs and traditions that existed in different time in certain social circles, were Orthodox. Some of these customs are not only not associated with the Church, but were directly condemned by it - for example, the custom of duels. An even worse sin is suicide; a person who has committed a shameful act must repent, where possible, compensate those who suffered, and move on without doing anything similar in the future. Suicide, which in some circles was seen as a way to “preserve honor,” is actually a manifestation of pride and cowardice, an unwillingness to accept an unpleasant or humiliating situation. As the Church teaches, our life belongs to God, and we do not have the right to stop it arbitrarily.

There are several possible answers to the question of why women cover their heads with a scarf in church. The question itself can be considered insufficiently correct. If doubts arise in this tradition, then it is very easy to move on to other, no less incorrect questions.

Can tradition become obsolete?

For example, why worship is held this way and not otherwise. Or why exactly these attributes are used, and not some others. Therefore, the first and most correct answer as to why you can’t go without a scarf is because that’s the tradition. Orthodox Church. And those who accept this faith must follow its dogmas and traditions unquestioningly and not question them.

The opinion about the outdated tradition began from the moment when some clergy, in the process of increased secularization of the church and attempts to attract as many parishioners as possible, started talking about it.

Some people think that since no one wears headscarves now, girls and women can come with their heads uncovered. This is motivated by the fact that it is better to visit a temple without a headscarf than not to go there at all.

In some monasteries, upon entering, visitors are given different sizes of hats, including a lace scarf and snood.

Sometimes, to enter the territory of a temple or monastery, it is enough to throw a hood over your head.

Scarf-hood

How does this correspond? Orthodox traditions, it's hard to figure out. The rules of church worship oblige a woman to enter the temple with her head covered. It doesn’t seem to matter what exactly she puts on her hair, the main thing is that it is covered.

The secularization of religion in attempts to attract parishioners has led to the fact that fasting is considered permissible in a relaxed form, the main thing being attending church.

The same is true with the strict rules of some big holidays, in which the church allowed conditional actions to be performed. Although there are predeterminations that until recently it was customary to follow.

The indignation of those who address the obsolescence of headscarves, while covering their heads in church with various substitutes, is incomprehensible. Some people use a neck stole, while others use a lace scarf through which the hair is completely visible.

Which scarf to choose for church

Meanwhile, according to church canons, it is predetermined not only what kind of headdress should be, but also what color to wear on what occasions, how to tie it, and who can wear this or that variety:

• light, white, plain or with a small floral border, in a small pattern, can be worn to church on holidays;
• any color except green or black is used for a regular, everyday visit;
• black is worn as a sign of mourning, and a plain dark color can and should be worn on days strict fasting;
• red is worn at Easter or all the time before the Holy Ascension;
• green - appropriate only for Palm Sunday and Trinity;
• flowers or small polka dots with a border are usually worn by women serving in the temple.

Don scarves, which are now heavily sold in online stores, lace and with rhinestones from Swarovski - a thing that is absolutely contrary to the very spirit of the established tradition, which is present only in Orthodox religion.

There are special Orthodox scarves (a bonnet with ties under the chin that are worn on the head). The ties are sewn on a drawstring.

A headdress worn and tied under the chin usually does not fall off; it can also be worn by a woman who is not accustomed to such an outfit.

You can use any scarf as a scarf, the main thing for a girl is that it does not slip off her head. A traditional church scarf should be medium in size so that it can be tied under the chin and cover the hair at the back.

The dropdown does not perform the function for which it was originally intended.

Important. Of great importance is precisely how in the church, other secular profanations of custom allowed by the modern church in the process of secularization are an imitation of tradition, but not entirely its observance.

Swarovski rhinestones used on holidays to demonstrate at what price a headdress was purchased for going to church is nothing more than pride. The Christian religion calls for a fight against such excesses, condemning such an outfit as one of the prohibited sins.

To understand the tradition that is called upon to be observed indirectly, you just need to understand why women in church cover their heads with a scarf.

Why do women cover their heads with a headscarf in church: the origins and importance of the tradition

According to legend, this tradition was started by the Apostle Paul. Its origins date back to the time of his arrival in Corinth on a preaching mission.

At that time, there was a pagan temple in which the priestesses shaved their heads bald and surrendered to the glory of their goddess, thus performing an act of sacrifice.

Some of the priestesses of this temple began to profess Christian religion. So that no one could reproach them with their past until their hair grew back, the Apostle Paul obliged everyone to wear headscarves to church.

The second version of the same event is that women with hair showed them as a warning to harlots, and this was a manifestation of pride, because everyone is equal before the Lord.

Another interpretation of the scarf in the church is that a man was created by God in his own image and likeness. Therefore, he takes off his hat or headdress as a sign of respect before the Creator. A woman, created by God from a man's rib, wears a headscarf to show her humility and submission to a man.

There are other versions. For example, by covering her hair in the temple immediately after marriage, a woman takes a vow of fidelity, leaving the opportunity to see the hair only for herself. to a loved one- to my husband.

Not only women, but also girls wear a headscarf to church to hide one of the most attractive features of their appearance.

There should be no sinful thoughts or objects of desire in the Temple of the Lord, which is why it was prescribed to wear floor-length skirts and scarves.

Important. In this case, there is no point in wearing a lace scarf, a flirty scarf with the hair straightened out from under it and tied back. It does not hide a lady's charms, as is the case with a real headdress, but, on the contrary, emphasizes them and attracts attention.

In the case of men, removing the headdress can also be interpreted differently. In Rus' there was a hat distinctive feature title or position, especially among government officials.

When they took off their headdress, they leveled their social or property status. The removal of the hat demonstrated to everyone that everyone is equal before the Lord.

How justified is it to wear a headscarf in church?

Before you search online for where to buy or how to sew a scarf, you should think about why the headdress is worn in church. This is not a means to demonstrate or emphasize your charms, to attract admiring glances from men or envious glances from women.

Because otherwise going to the Temple does not make much sense. Starting from the denial of one tradition embedded in religious postulates, then one can easily question the appropriateness of rituals and vestments of read prayers.

After all, they are the ones used to appeal to God. Certain rules of behavior are accepted in any community. Only the most ill-mannered person would think of eating on the floor, spitting in a well, denying respect to elders or depriving children of care.

The situation is approximately the same with religious customs, dictated centuries of experience, national mentality, heritage of ancestors.

Life has changed, new ones have appeared vehicles, information Technology, ways of communication. But for many people, nothing has changed in their attitude and appeal to God, following religious commandments, church canons and rules. And if a person considers himself a believer, he follows them unswervingly, without reasoning about expediency.

The tradition of covering one's head in church, this is not a law, but a persistent recommendation of the Holy Apostle Paul. According to his Epistle to the Corinthians, a man should pray with his head uncovered, and a woman with her head covered. Since ancient times, women's hair was considered one of the most expressive elements of female attractiveness, and this was a counterbalance to modesty, one of the signs of which was covered hair.

Even in the pre-Christian era, hetaeras in Greece walked with uncovered hair, and married women had to express their belonging to their husband by covering their heads, thereby showing that they belonged to their husband.

Where did the tradition of covering women's heads in church come from?

According to the instructions of the apostle appearance a believer, regardless of gender, must be restrained and modest, and cannot be a source of temptation or embarrassment. must be in the mood for prayer, express through his appearance respect and reverence for the holiness of the temple and the Liturgy taking place in it. Thus, the Christian tradition is the inadmissibility of male believers wearing a headdress in church, and female believers not wearing a headscarf.

This tradition is based on the Apostle’s statement that Christ is the head of every husband, but the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. For a man who prays with his head covered disgraces his head, and a woman who prays with her head uncovered disgraces her head, equating it to a shaved head. Man is the image and glory of God, and woman is the glory of man, since “the man is not from the wife and for the wife, but the wife is from the husband and for the husband.” The scarf is a sign of power over her, this is for the Angels.

The opposite statement is not based on a misunderstanding of the principle of equality of men and women before God. Jesus never drove away women during his sermons, the same, by the way, also applies to the pagans, whom Jesus never discriminated against. In practice, Mary Magdalene was the first to observe the Risen One, and here she has an advantage, for example, over the Apostle Peter. Before Christ, in the matter of achieving salvation and liberation, acquiring the Holy Spirit and the eternal, men and women are completely equal.

However, the mistake of some amateur theologians is that equality in Christ is not identical to equality in the flesh. In Christ, in fact, there are no gender or national characteristics, however, in nature we will all differ, until the very moment of transition into eternity. It is precisely these specific signs that the Apostle Paul is trying to draw the attention of the Corinthians when discussing head covering. He's not talking about covering or not covering his head." spiritual person“, located in Christ, here specifically speaks of human flesh, and it is certainly not yet in Christ.

The idea is that God has all the elements of both material and spiritual world, and they (this is the main thing) are ordered among themselves and are in a harmonious system, with a number of levels and subordination. This system is harmony, and the claims of individual elements of this system for functions that are not characteristic of them lead to disharmony, disturbances and imbalance, and as a result, to its disorder.

With Christ the idea of ​​unity came to earth, and not the idea of ​​equality, it is this that gives coherence, like-mindedness and the absence of discontent, and while preserving the individuality of each person, there must be mutual subordination - subordination and a certain system of hierarchy.

The apostle Paul finds an illustration of this interdependence in human body, in which everyone is in a state of subordination to other members, having equal rights, but also unequal opportunities. The body functions successfully when not the equalization of all members takes place, but the coordinated interaction and unity of each in its place and with its functions. Consequently, equality in a certain respect does not exclude, but presupposes hierarchy, that is, inequality. Paul writes: not the whole body is an eye or an ear. A married sister, covering her head, shows the outside world her submission to the position established by God. And this is a testimony not only for others, but also a sign for the Angels. By observing people, Satan and the fallen angels discover that God has received obedience from people that was not received from them, and this shames them. Satan is ashamed not only of Jesus, who submitted to the Father, but also of ordinary handkerchiefs, that is, people who voluntarily submitted to God’s regulations. This is also the wife’s obedience to her husband, and covering the head is a sign of this state. Satan is trying to convince weak-willed women that it is not necessary to cover their heads.

But at the same time, Paul points out that covering the head is a voluntary act. This is where the shame of the angels is manifested, in voluntariness, when women, equal to men in terms of grace, submit to them in the flesh, giving a sign of their submission to God’s regulations. Therefore, there should be no forced church law on head covering for sisters.

While attending church, parishioners are required to follow certain rules and rituals. Some of them currently raise questions, for example, why should you wear a headscarf to church? Where did this custom come from, which goes against modern fashion in clothing?

Origin of the tradition

The tradition of women covering their heads in the temple has deep roots. In ancient times, in the cultures of many nations, covered hair was a sign that determined the status of a married woman, indicating her subordination to her husband. It was forbidden to appear on the streets with your head uncovered; it was considered very immodest.

Woman in the temple

Similar “dress code” rules existed in Jewish culture, where Christianity was born, and in Roman culture, where the first churches appeared. This is due to the fact that in the Epistles of the Apostle Paul the following words are written:

"5. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered disgraces her head, for it is as if she had been shaved.6. For if the wife does not want to cover herself, then let her cut her hair; and if a wife is ashamed to be shorn or shaved, let her cover herself.” (1st sequence to Corinth.)

Someone may wonder: if in those days the wearing of a veil by married women was a universal rule, why did the Christians of the Corinthian church violate it, since the Apostle Paul had to specifically write about it? There is a version that this was due to the particular depravity of morals in the pagan city of Corinth (it was famous for this).

Because of which, local residents They considered it unnecessary to observe the then ubiquitous rules of decent dress. And Christians, since they grew up in this city and were accustomed to its atmosphere, could also be infected with something from the general debauchery. That's why, The Apostle Paul called on Corinthian Christian women to be extremely modest and chaste in dress, to comply with all the rules of decency that existed in those days.

IN ancient Rus' The custom of women covering their heads after marriage was also in use. According to the ideas of our ancestors, if strangers see a woman without a headscarf, it will be a shame for her and her entire family. This is where the expression “goofing off” comes from.

In the church this custom has been preserved to this day, but has changed.

If previously the tradition of covering their heads concerned exclusively married women, and girls did not wear headscarves either in church or on the street, now even little girls’ heads are covered.

Is it possible to go to church without a headscarf?

It should not be understood that a woman who enters a temple with her head uncovered is committing a sin. For God, the state of our soul is important, not the form of clothing. However, there are also people in the church. For many of them, a woman without a headdress will cause irritation. Even if they are wrong, they should not commit actions that knowingly lead people into the sin of condemnation and distract them from prayer.

For these reasons, you need to follow the established rules of church clothing and wear skirts and hats to church.

Why wear a headscarf to church?

Which scarf to choose for church

Existed in Rus' interesting custom wear scarves to the service, the colors of which correspond to the day church calendar and repeat the color of priestly robes. Perhaps someone in our time will want to follow this. Here is a list of these colors:

• The color of Easter is red or white. Women wore such scarves throughout the 40 days of the holiday.
• At Christmas they wore white ones.
• During the days of Great Lent they chose dark color. Black, dark blue, purple.
• For the Feast of the Life-Giving Trinity and on the Day of the Holy Spirit, green ones were worn. Green is the color of life.
• All Mother of God holidays wore blue.
• On ordinary days, they wore yellow scarves, the color of a simple, everyday priestly robe.

Interesting about Orthodoxy.

There is no obligation for a woman to enter an Orthodox church with her head covered.
This is not an obligation, but a historical tradition and recommendations of the Apostle Paul. Moreover, tradition can be the opposite. For example, in Greece women are required to enter Orthodox churches without a headdress (!) This approach to a woman’s covered head was developed by the Greeks during the national liberation struggle against the Turks.
And moreover, in Ukraine there is a temple - in Akhtyrka (Sumy region) - where, according to their tradition, women enter the temple with their heads uncovered, since in this temple the image of the Mother of God with her head uncovered is kept.
- Priest Georgy spoke about all this today on radio "Era".
“And when asked why women are not allowed into certain churches by grandmothers if she does not have a headscarf,” Father Georgy answered with some irritation : We are aware of this problem that some ministers are trying to impose their vision of faith in God, and we are trying to fight this. And, in general, it is better to come to God with your head uncovered than to pass by, he concluded.
This is how one of the canons of the external ritual suddenly collapses: it turns out that in a number of Orthodox denominations and even in some churches, women are required to enter with their heads uncovered. And in general, adhering to such strictness can harm the Church.

Here is the development of this vision of the gender problem:

It's funny to hear: it turns out that covering a woman's head in a temple is just "recommendation of the Apostle Paul"

By the way, where there is a tradition, there are always magical or witchcraft explanations for this tradition: one of the “folk” explanations for the need for women to cover their heads in the temple:
"It has long been known that hair has great strength(something related to magic). And the longer the hair, the greater the strength. There is even such a belief that if a woman makes a wish and at this time combs her hair with the fingers of her fingers, then the wish will come true . Naturally, men don’t have this; they have short hair. It was not for nothing that in the Middle Ages a woman with long, thick and beautiful hair was considered a witch and burned at the stake. And since the strength and power of our Lord is much greater than female strength, then by entering the temple in a headscarf, a woman shows God that she submits to His will and pacifies her desires and passions before Him. Since according to church laws, passion can only be known married woman Therefore, it is she who should enter the temple in a headscarf. Although, nowadays, some temples require that even little girls enter the temple with their heads covered." (from here)

Well, and some advice for women (under the cut) from the website of the rural Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the village of Vavozh, Udmurtia. - very useful for understanding the equality of men and women and the vision of the place of women in the Orthodox world
But first, the surprise of the priest, the author of advice on what and why a woman should wear when she goes to church: “I myself was surprised when I watched the recording of Easter in the Epiphany Cathedral in Moscow and saw that half of the women in the Patriarchal Choir they sang with their heads uncovered. This is tolerated. And it’s not for us to judge these women. But We will always warn about the sinful nature of this act.".

Sorry for quoting so much, the text itself is very interesting, so I couldn’t resist

I heard that to visit a temple you need to dress in a special way, or can you go in whatever you want?

The Temple of God is not a store, much less a cowshed. This is the place of the special and constant presence of the Most High God. Anyone who does not think about the form in which he will enter is unworthy Holy place, simply does not have the Fear of God, he is an absolute atheist. What should an atheist do in an Orthodox church?

- a man should be in the temple in men's clothing, and a woman in women's clothing;

- as a sign of humility before God, men take off their hats when entering, and women cover their heads, usually with a scarf.

Is it possible for a woman to wear a hat or cap to church?

This is quite common in the city churches of Izhevsk. But the scarf... This is not only a women's headdress, it is also a beautiful women's decoration (...)

By the way, have you ever tried to make a bow or prostration while wearing a cap or hat? And did you succeed? The scarves do not fly off.

And I really don’t like wearing scarves, even though I have a haircut, but still the scarf, like a bridle, gets in the way...

That's exactly what a haircut is!

While serving as a watchman at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Izhevsk, I came across an interesting pattern: not once did I have to advise a woman with long hair to cover her head with a scarf, only a cropped one.

(...) Let it be known to you, my dears, that in most cases, haircuts are done by those women who have two clearly expressed passions: Pride and Gluttony (beautifying oneself is a type of gluttony, i.e. pleasing one’s body). (...) Try not to notice such a woman’s new hairstyle - you will make a mortal enemy; praise - you will be the best best friend. And in the temple they need to cover their beauty with a scarf! What are you talking about!?

What kind of humility is there? And Pride is the most terrible sin!

The scarf is precisely intended to humble Pride. Please, humble yourself before God.

Can you just throw a transparent scarf over your head?

And how inconvenient it is when a nylon scarf constantly slides through your hair and keeps trying to fly off your head, especially if it’s not tied. Don't create problems for yourself. Why did you come to the temple? To God or to show off? Choose one of the two. In the second case, you did not have to go to the temple, but to another place.

I somehow urgently needed to go to the temple in the summer, but I didn’t have a scarf with me, so I didn’t go. Aren't you creating unnecessary obstacles for people who don't go to churches often anyway?

Where is it written, in what document, that women are strictly forbidden to enter the temple with their heads uncovered?

Every rule has its exceptions. If we had to come in, we would have come in. And if someone didn’t let you into the temple because of this, he would have committed a great sin. And at services in city churches, many women stand with their heads uncovered. I myself was surprised when I watched the recording of Easter in the Epiphany Cathedral in Moscow and saw that half of the women in the Patriarchal Choir sang with their heads uncovered. This is tolerated. And it’s not for us to judge these women. But we will always warn about the sinful nature of this act.

In addition, I must warn those who are especially proud and do not want to cover their beautiful heads on principle, that any Orthodox priest such people will not be confessed, given communion, anointed, allowed to kiss the cross or other shrines, or admitted to other sacraments. That’s what I, a sinner, do too.

Well, in order not to create inconvenience for yourself due to the lack of a scarf, do not forget to always have one, along with any cosmetics, in your purse. It won't take up much space and won't make the bag too heavy. What if you find yourself next to a temple and want to go there? And you have a scarf with you. Very practical.

Recently I came to church with makeup on my face, and my grandmothers scolded me for it. Why do you prohibit the use of cosmetics?

Before visiting a temple, it is not recommended to use cosmetics, since you will not be allowed to kiss icons, the Gospel, the cross, take communion and take a blessing from the priest, because:

- on all these shrines there will definitely remain traces of your lipstick, even the most non-smearing one;

- modern lipsticks contain active chemicals that destroy the thinnest layers of gilding and silvering on shrines and varnish on icons, and irrevocably;

- and it can also be quite difficult for a priest to wash off the lipstick from his right hand, but it is almost impossible to wash it off the handrails.

(...)
About those and for those who make comments in the temple. Very often, regular parishioners come up to me and ask what they should do when they see someone entering the temple wearing inappropriate clothing and/or makeup on their face. To tell them about this can lead to condemnation; not to say it would seem to allow that someone in the church is sinning.

The answer is quite simple:

- during the service, try not to pay attention to this, because your prayer is what you came here for, and everything else is vanity of vanities and temptation;

- outside the service, if you are completely unbearable, you can come up and politely advise the dunno not to do this next time and immediately leave without engaging in conversation, while you should be guided by a feeling of compassionate love with the sinner, but not anger;

- if a person tries to sin, for example, take communion with lipstick on his lips, politely stop him in time and warn him about a possible sin, and then let him do as he wants;

- most The best way admonitions are a joke: do not offend, and give edification.

I heard that using cosmetics in general is a great sin, is that true?

It depends on what purpose you use it for:

- if for therapeutic or preventive purposes, for example, with hygienic lipstick to prevent lips from cracking, then this is not a sin;

- if for decoration, then this is of course a sin:

- pride, or rather its variety - lies, since you are trying to look better than you really are, and this is deception;

- pride, since you are very proud when people pay attention to you thanks to cosmetics;

- vanity, when you are praised for your appearance;

- gluttony, or rather decoration itself, since you please your body;

- fornication, since most women, consciously, and more often subconsciously, use this product in order to please men (isn’t that why you put on makeup to please your friends? Although, in our time I would not be surprised by this either.) and thereby deceiving them.

Teenage girls, who strive to become adults as soon as possible so that boys will like them, are very susceptible to the last sin. At the same time, it is the mother’s duty to very tactfully explain to her daughter what passion she is developing in herself, and how it can all end, and not indulge her whims.

I can still understand those adult women who try to hide the signs of their decline with carefully applied makeup. I can’t understand grandmothers who use bright cosmetics that look like a clown mask against the background of old and sagging skin on their face and neck. Very sad and not funny at all.

Any makeup specialist will tell you: the one who uses cosmetics correctly is the one who has no visible traces of its use.

By the way, women who constantly use cosmetics have sagging skin much faster.

My advice to you: the best cosmetic product- This is washing in the morning and evening with ice water. Tested - your skin will be as soft as a baby's.

And finally: the most beautiful women's faces in Vavozh - among our regular, devoutly believing parishioners - grandmothers, since they glow with the unfading light of God's grace, relentlessly abiding in their hearts. And no cosmetics will give such an effect.

I heard that women should not come to church in trousers, but there are women’s, very beautiful and elegant trouser suits that are very popular now...

This question is probably the most difficult in discussing clothing for visiting the temple. The world is changing, and what was considered blasphemous yesterday, for example, for a woman to wear men's clothing, is today the norm and the most common thing. Looking around, you notice that more than half of the young women and girls on the street are dressed in jeans or trousers. Those. nowadays trousers are normal element women's clothing. This is very practical, especially in the mud, when women wear massive boots that don’t go well with a skirt, and splashes of dirt on trousers are not as noticeable as on stockings. In winter, trousers are much warmer than any gaiters. All this is true. But!

There is a tradition. Tradition of visiting Orthodox churches women. And it provides for a ban on women wearing trousers visiting churches. And no one has yet canceled this tradition. And for now, we must try, as far as possible, to follow this tradition, because it is not for us to change these rules and laws.

There is no great sin in the fact that a woman in trousers came into the temple for 5 minutes to light a candle or find out something.

But, when going to church for a religious service or service, try to find in your wardrobe a skirt, sundress or dress of sufficiently chaste length, i.e. no higher than the knees, no cuts or odors, not very tight, i.e. practical and comfortable, and go in it.

No one will kick you out of church, even if you come there in jeans, but be prepared for the fact that the priest will refuse to confess you, give you communion, give you a cross to kiss, etc.

In the photo: Akhtyrskaya mother of God(from here)
Conclusion: the capital’s priests are trying to modernize the church, but in the outback all communications are held back as if by cement by traditions, which are very strongly reinforced in the popular consciousness by pagan ideas