The babushka is a headscarf worn by older women in Eastern Europe, typically tied under the chin. Headscarves are also worn for religious, fashion, and practical purposes. In some cultures, women are required to wear head coverings, while in others, it is prohibited in certain places.
A babushka is a headscarf that covers a woman’s head and is tied under the chin. The babushka scarf is typically a 3 foot (1 meter) square folded triangularly and tied snugly in a knot or bow. Commonly worn in Eastern Europe by older women, the babushka can be any color or pattern and is an effective way to protect hair from the elements or cover wet or unkempt hair. Additionally, headscarves can be worn for religious purposes, as fashion statements, or for social conventions.
In Western culture, the headscarf has become a fashion accessory that also serves the practical purpose of protecting hair from wind, rain, sun, dirt, or dust. Scarves can be in bolder patterns and colors than women may wear as clothing, but traditional babushka styling dictates that the scarf be tied under the chin and not behind the head.
Many vintage scarves are widely available in thrift stores and were favored by celebrities from Hollywood’s glamorous past such as Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn. Former first lady Jackie Kennedy Onasis often wore a headscarf with large sunglasses when she avoided photographers. Nowadays, wearing a headscarf is likely to attract as much attention as it diverts.
Many religions, including Islam and Christian dominations such as the Mennonites and the Amish, require women to wear head coverings. Catholic nuns traditionally wear a veil. A woman without a head covering is considered immodest. The Russian Orthodox Church also requires women to wear scarves during mass. This is one possible reason why the headscarf is known as a babushka, a Russian term for grandmother, in English, as many Russian and Slavic women cover up while in church. In some Slavic communities, widows also wear headscarves, hence the association between an older woman and a head covering.
Common Islamic head coverings range in length from the hijab or scarf to the burqa or the garment that covers the entire head and body. Different countries and Islamic cultures have adopted different traditions regarding female head and body coverings. Some countries require head or body coverings by law, while others have enacted partial or total bans. In Western culture, the Islamic custom of the hijab or burqa can be interpreted as oppressive to women or considered a security risk. For these and other reasons, head, face and body coverings are prohibited in schools and public buildings in some places.
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