Removing hats.

[hallj1]

Why do men remove their hats upon entering say, a church when women keep theirs on?

[Count_Emmup]

Centuries ago most hats were wide brimmed and partly concealed the wearer's face, so to indicate no ill-intention, the wearer raised his hat to show his identity. This was more important to a defenceless lady, so became a recognised mark of respect.

Unarmed ladies were not thought a threat so were permitted to leave their headgear in place on entering a church or a house.

[Quizmonster]

A hat is designed as head-protection...from sun, rain etc. Clearly, it is unnecessary indoors. Apart from that, removing your hat is simply a mark of respect. That's why men used to raise their hats to passing ladies, young men would raise their hats to older men and all men would do so on entering a church. In the case of a uniform hat, the wearer - eg a policeman - is acknowledging by removing it that the house, office or whatever he has just entered is someone else's domain, not his.
In olden days, a knight's removal of his helmet would have been a signal that he was happy for his face to be seen and identified. It would also show that he was disarming himself by exposing his head to possible attack. Both of these were gestures of friendship.
In the case of women, there has been a longstanding tendency for them to cover their hair in public...consider the recent fuss about Muslim women and the hijab. When I was young - a long time ago! - it was unheard-of for a woman to enter a church without a head-covering...nowadays, the reverse is almost the case.

[shaneystar2]

Apart from which.....in Victorian and Edwardian times many ladies had very elaborate hairstyles to which their hats would be pinned ....to remove them would have been a right hassle .
Before these times ladies had these pompadour hairstyles with a silly little hat perched atop.Purely decoration and too much trouble to remove .They even kept them on indoors at tea parties etc.
Men's hats are removed in Church, and not removing them is usually frowned upon. Women, however, are required to wear a hat to cover the head in some churches.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1_Corinthians_11


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headgear

[brionon]

Just another Religious idiocy.

[louiseclair]

I was always told that it is because women have impure thoughts and leaving our hats on means God can't see them! Maybe that's just an Army thing!