Whatever happened to dressing up on Easter Sunday?

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | Saturday, April 10, 2004 | Alyson Walls

[Willie Green]

Although famed musical composer Irving Berlin thought them lovely enough to write a sonnet, nowadays few women are donning Easter bonnets.

In fact, you're more apt to see wrinkled khakis and rumpled polo shirts than pressed suits and pastel pumps at church on Sunday.

While Easter Sunday has traditionally been the day to show off your new spring finery, America has become a nation that dresses down, and not just on "casual Fridays" in the office.

[threat matrix]

I just think wearing a jean jacket/and shorts!! on one of the most formal days of the year is just not acceptable.

I'm pretty open minded otherwise but I think this is a basic point..

[Joe Hadenuf]

I just think wearing a jean jacket/and shorts!! on one of the most formal days of the year is just not acceptable.

What kind of attire do you think God would prefer we wear?

[Dog Gone]

I had you pegged as older than the Boomer generation. I thought you had said in a previous post that you had retired in Arizona or someplace in the southwest.

Or maybe I'm the one with an onset of early Alzheimers...

[pepperdog]

I felt like you and Vison for a long time. Then I got mad and said "I'm going to find a church that thinks like me!" And I did. Today my husband and I both dressed up-I even wore a hat-and went to our little independent Christian church. We heard a good sermon, sang some old gospel songs and not one word of policital correctness was uttered! It was so nice. My first church left me, I didn't leave it, but I've found I don't have to be alone anymore. If this church changes I'll just find another. They can't beat me! Mrs PD

[onyx]

chapel veils are still worn to tridentine latin mass. we go to the one near us and luckily i had the mantilla style veil from my mom,





I wear the same style thing.
It looks like a long black lace scarf,
and I've figured a way to have it drape
just across my eyes....(In case I ever fall asleep).
Just kidding.
You know we're up and down and
on our knees way too often to
ever worry about falling asleep.

[Rytwyng]

My children, homeschooled, revel at being able to dress up. I think it is important too, becasue it teaches them how to dress and be comfortable in business wear and more formal wear

Ironically, a compelling reasoning for homeschooling in my book is that (a) public schools are sewers, and (b) private schools often require itchy, scratchy uniforms!

Also... some people CAN'T be taught to "be comfortable" in "business wear", so-called. Many ADHD'ers and even more Asperger-types have an enhanced tactile sensitivity that makes so-called "nice" clothes, pure torture. Unforunately, I know this from personal experience, as I am one of them. I was constantly badgered and punished from childhood on the subject of wardrobe and to this day my 83 year old mother still thinks I was just being a "bad kid", or trying to "prove something" or make a "social statement" by refusing to wear "nice" clothes. Totally untrue; I simply couldn't endure them, physically.

As an adult, in church, I've encountered this occasionally, though fortunately I live on the West Coast where it's not as bad as some other places. For example, about 10 years ago, attending a small church, I was the target of a scornful comment by the young single woman who counted up the tithes (and who therefore knew exactly how much money I made): "You're the one guy in this church who could really afford to dress nice, and yet.... ". My answer was simple: "I have a different definition of 'Nice'".

To this day, whenever social circumstances absolutely force me to wear formal clothes (weddings, funerals, etc), I literally break out in sweat for several days in advance, dreading the awful moment when I have to put those horrible clothes on. Thank God that I managed to get a high-paying career doing something that doesn't require torturous dress-up. (When we have VIPs visiting the lab, we put on clean white lab coats, that's all.)

Okay, that was long winded. The short version is that some people find wearing most so-called "formal" clothing pure misery, and this isn't a condition they chose or could change. If dressing up to someone else's non-biblical aesthetic standards is the condition of attending church, a lot of these souls will be lost. (Why did I suddenly think of the Pharisees?)

[FourPeas]

Call me crazy

OK, Crazy. A friend's pastor refers to his congregations reaction to Easter as New Hat Sunday as all the women strut around wearing their newest head-wear. He's actually requested the women don't wear new hats or other fancy clothes since it detracts from the message of Christ's resurrection.

[Dog Gone]

So, I guess my decision to wear a bonnet wasn't that good of an idea. I did get a lot of stares.

[Rytwyng]

Woodstock-era Baby Boomer hippies are all a bunch of lazy, atheistic slobs

If they're atheistic, I doubt they'd be in church!

[redhead]

"I don't take my religion all that seriously anymore. I still answer to God, he is my moral compass. But, I'm burned out on the ceremonies. Maybe I'm a disgruntled Catholic. That's where I'm at right now."

This is more common than you might expect. The tradition of dressing in finery on Easter is derived from "Putting on Christ" at Baptism, at which the early-Church candidate received a spotless white robe to symbolize that he was a "new creation in Christ," and that all the sins of his former life had been washed away in the waters of Baptism. Since most Americans haven't received this teaching since Vatican II, it's not surprising that they don't understand the meaning of new, beautiful clothing for Easter celebration.

[FourPeas]

It's important that one coordinates one's bonnet with their collar and leash....

[Rytwyng]

Well, people will dress up nicely to see the Pres or to out to a party but, they won't dress up nicely to see Our Lord.

Define "nicely."

[redhead]

"I'm glad you brought this up. Could somebody here please explain to this Jew what bunnies, eggs and bonnets have to do with the resurrection of Christ? I'm not being facetious. I've asked many of my friends, and they can't seem to tell me. I know you all will be happy to inform me. Thank you."

Mostly symbols of spring. Eggs symbolize new life. Rabbits are prolific, which is another symbol of new life. Bonnets are simply a holdover from the days when worshipping women were expected to keep their hair covered in church.

[jamaly]

IMHO people should dress modestly and respectfully in church. However, too many people try to "out dress" each other. I refuse to compete with my clothing. In fact, I ALWAYS wear an old outfit on Easter. I don't believe in buying Easter outfits.

[Dog Gone]

That was it. They clashed.

[angcat]

LOL! I was just complaining of that in my church in Conyngham PA, Hillbilly Land, My daughter and I were just a handful of dressed people. I remember when I was a child we would have matching coats and hats, today I cannot even find a Easter coat for my 9 year old let alone one for my 6 month old. Jeans and tacky jackets, I can't believe now the big thing is the plastic 500 dollar Louis Vitton bags, you have to see the women with no makeup and bad hair with jeans carrying a ugly 500 dollar bag. The little boys are not even in suits anymore. It is sad indeed!

[Rytwyng]

If we do take care to dress up for social occasions, business meetings, etc., yet do not take care to do the same for worship, I think we should examine our motives closely

see my post 206

[stboz]

Sorry it took so long to reply, but I was busy tieing your shoelaces together. Watch your step, you might hurt someone.

[Faithfull]

Amen to your post! While God is concerned first about the inner soul and not the clothing, HE does deserve our best. And so taking time to dress modestly and nicely for Easter is in reverence to him. I enjoy taking the time to plan my Easter clothes and in dressing to celebrate this special day!

[freedox]

I saw it and it sounds like a load of crap to me. Tell me, just what is it about "nice" clothes in particular that offend your enhanced tactile sensitivity? Acceptable attire for virtually any occasion can generally be found in a variety of styles and materials......if one cares to make the effort to look for them.