Hi! So totally embarrassing that I did not write once through Advent and here we are in the second week of Great Lent! I’m sorry that I did not follow through and blog my wrapping journey during Advent. In full transparency, I did not wrap during Advent. I had so many sad emotions going through me during that season, that I barely found the joy in it. It was the first Thanksgiving and Christmas without my grandfather and I had so many emotions going through me that I just couldn’t bring myself to deal with wrapping my head. I did try and none ever came out well and I was just frustrated and gave up.

Here we are in Great Lent and I decided to wrap for this fasting period as we prepare our hearts for the resurrection of our Lord. The question I’m sure this post or blog may bring up is: Do I have to cover my head everyday during the fast? Absolutely not!

A memory came up in my Facebook memories the other day of me, 12 years ago, posting a wrap and saying I was covering for Lent. This was before I was Orthodox. I have always loved covering my head. Before I became Orthodox I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church, attending a traditional Latin mass. You had to cover your head in Mass. I was older when we started attending like 9 or 10. I never thought it odd or questioned it. We had a neighbor who was Muslim and a good friend of ours. One day when we were visiting her she had her beautiful, thick, black, curly hair was out of its usual hijab. Someone knocked on the door and she grabbed a scarf and wrapped to around her head so fast. I had never seen anyone wrap their head that quickly. I don’t understand the language or process of Muslim women covering their heads, so if I explain this oddly, forgive me. She had a normal scarf and put it over her head then took tail of the scarf and wrapped it around her chin to the other side of her head and tucked it in while she answered the door. I was mesmerized. When we went home that afternoon I tried to recreate it. Not to were out, but just to try it. I saw the beauty in it. When I was 17 and left the Catholic Church I didn’t cover my head anymore. I went to a non-denominational church and didn’t think about a covered head in church or anywhere else in my life (except in winter when I needed a hat).

While I chose to go to a non-denominational church, my mother (who also left the Catholic Church when I did) chose to attend an Eastern Orthodox Church. There was a lot of underlying reasons I didn’t attend her church for a long time (I will probably talk about in a future post), but when she and my baby sister was received into the church through chrismation, I attended the Liturgy. Women covered their heads! I didn’t cover my head the first few times I went because I was young and still defiant on most things my mother wanted me to do. Little did I know that God was working on my heart. I still attended my non-denominational church, but occasionally went to church with my mom and sister. At the time I was in a toxic relationship and didn’t put too much thought into ever leaving the church I was at. I ended that relationship in late 2011, stopped going to that church and would occasionally attend church with my mom. In between all of that I started covering my head for fun around the house. My mom introduced me to this site that was ran by Orthodox Jewish women, Wrapunzel. I found YouTube videos and followed them on socials and would try to wrap my head the way they did. All the different styles and ways to wrap. I was in this new and wonderful world!

I was shy throughout most of my life and as a teenager I would hide behind my hair. So wrapping was taking away the power of that insecurity that I had. When I wrapped my head I wasn’t only silencing that insecurity, but I was also opening myself up to criticism and stares from strangers, friends and family members.

When I cover my head I feel closer to God. I started with wrapping during Great Lent, then I started wrapping during personal fasting seasons, then I would wrap because I wanted to. I wanted a different look.

I converted to Eastern Orthodoxy in 2019 and it has been the best decision in my spiritual journey. It encourages me and gives me the strength to continue to cover my head. Whether it’s in church or to the grocery store or to the playground. So that was my journey from the first time covering my head to now.

Thank you for reading this far. I hope to get a post out every week.