Beards in the Orthodox Tradition

[zlata]

What about women shaving? Is there anything canonical or Biblical regarding this? In my husband's country, former Yugoslavia, only MUslim women shaved and we Serbians did not. Anybody know why? We have some cousins now that STILL don't shave, but most of my generation here in America do.

Dear Tessa,
I'm Russian, and we also do not shave... I think it's cultural for slavs not to do that. Islam sais that woman have to have NO hair on her body, save her head... I never heard anything like this in slavic groups.
My mother was terrified when she found out that I started shaving... but playing sports in school, did not leave much choice to me.

[尼古拉前执事]

Here is another thread on hair and beards: http://www.euphrosynoscafe.com/forum/vi ... hp?p=13315

[Justin Kissel]

Beards and hair are a cultural thing which sometimes gets turned into a religious issue. The Russians thought you looked like a girl if you were clean shaven, which was a very great sin to them. That'd be about the same as an Orthodox Christian cross-dressing in public in Western society today. You couldn't blur gender-lines like that. It was just taboo. It was an offense to God who created us like we are, and an offense to the Csar and the Princes and basically the whole country. Thus the reason that they wrote certain canons on hair, while the Greeks, Antiochians, etc. had canons which said the opposite.

[尼古拉前执事]

The Greeks and Antiochians have canons against having beards? Where?

[Justin Kissel]

The last sentence should have said customs, not canons. And no, I can't give you a handful of references. You could always, I dunno, go to an Orthodox country and look around shrugs But then, I guess if they were beardless then they would be "non-traditional" and wouldn't count? I know we Orthodox always follow the tradition on matters like beards, clerical dress, slavery... er, wait, I mean usury... er wait, I mean sexual immorality... er wait, I mean mentrual periods... er wait, I mean freedom of the press... er wait, I mean freedom of religion... er wait... ok, well we have beards! We were right on that one!

[尼古拉前执事]

Is there such a thing as an Orthodoxy country anymore? I am not saying beards are required by laity, just showing where the tradition came from and showing why it is required of monastics and priests. As for the second half of your message, I have no idea what you are talking about.

[TomS]

I dunno, go to an Orthodox country and look around shrugs

Concerning Greece, in all my many trips around that country, I have never encountered a clean-shaven Orthodox Priest. Although that does not mean that one does not exist somewhere. But it certainly would be looked down upon.