Rites of passage
The first haircut, the mundan, coming of age and mourning. 35 hairstyles on EveryHairstyle so far.
Hair marks the passages of life: birth, childhood, coming of age, marriage, mourning, and entering religious life. Many of these rites involve cutting or shaving: the Hindu mundan, the Jewish upsherin, the tonsure of a monk, the cutting of a sumo wrestler's topknot at retirement. Others involve putting hair up or covering it, as at coming of age in Joseon Korea.
Cutting and shaving rites
The mundan shaves a Hindu child's birth hair; the upsherin gives a Jewish boy his first haircut at three; the aqiqah shaves a Muslim baby's head on the seventh day. Buddhist ordination shaves the head as a sign of leaving worldly life. In mourning, many Hindu sons shave their heads after a parent's death. When a sumo wrestler retires, his topknot is cut in the danpatsu-shiki, and ancient Egyptian children's sidelocks were cut at puberty.
Coming of age
In Joseon Korea, a boy's braid was tied up into a sangtu topknot at his capping ceremony or marriage, the mark of adulthood. In Rwanda, unmarried women wore amasunzu crests from about 18. Among the Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania, young warriors grow long braided hair dressed with red ochre, which is shaved when they become elders. Such rites show how hair turns a private body into a public statement.
Famous rites of passage hairstyles
Head shaving in HinduismThe mundan and mourning shave
UpsherinThe Jewish first haircut
TonsureShaving on entering religious life
Sidelock of youthCut at puberty in ancient EgyptAmasunzuWorn by Rwandan women of marriageable age
SangtuThe Korean coming-of-age topknot
ChonmageCut off when a sumo wrestler retiresFurther reading
🇰🇷 South KoreaBinyeo
A traditional Korean hairpin used to secure chignons and signal social status.Adorned
🇺🇦 UkraineUkrainian wreath
Traditional floral headdress for Ukrainian girls and unmarried womenWrapped · Any hair
🇰🇷 South KoreaHwagwan
Elaborate Korean ceremonial coronet for womenWrapped · Any hair
🇰🇷 South KoreaJokduri
A traditional Korean silk coronet worn by women for weddings and formal events.Wrapped · Any hair
🇪🇸 Spain and 2 moreMantilla
A traditional Spanish lace or silk veil worn over the head and shoulders, often with a comb.Wrapped · 1500
🇨🇳 ChinaChinese hairpin
Traditional Chinese hair ornaments used to secure buns and signify status.Adorned · Any hair
🇮🇳 India and 3 moreDastar
A turban worn by Sikhs to cover uncut hair and signify faith.Wrapped · Any hair · 1699
🇷🇴 Romania and 4 moreChristian head covering
A cloth veil worn by Christian women for modesty and worship.Wrapped · Any hair
🇸🇩 Sudan and 4 moreDreadlocks
A hairstyle of rope-like hair strands formed by matting or twisting.Natural · Coily and kinky hair · 1970
WorldBun
A hairstyle where hair is gathered and coiled into a circular shape on the head.Updo · Any hair
WorldBraid
Interlaced strands of hair used for style and social signalling.Braid · Any hair
🇵🇱 Poland and 1 morePolish plait
A matted hair formation viewed as both a medical condition and a folk amulet in Eastern Europe.Styled · Coily and kinky hair · 1600
🇬🇷 GreeceGreco-Roman hairstyles
Hair practices of ancient Greece and Rome, including long locks, short crops, and net head-dresses.Wrapped · Any hair
EuropeRoman hairstyles
Ancient Roman hair fashions reflecting status and identityUpdo · Any hair
🇳🇬 NigeriaShuku
A Yoruba braided updo where hair is gathered into a hump on top of the head.Braid · Any hair
🇮🇱 IsraelJewish headcovering
A religious practice requiring married Orthodox Jewish women to cover their hair in public.Wrapped · Any hair
🇺🇸 United StatesHopi squash blossom whorls
Traditional Hopi hairstyle for unmarried maidensStyled · Straight hair
🇿🇦 South AfricaBantu knots
Twisted coils of hair worn as a protective style or permanent look.Styled · Curly hair
🇮🇳 IndiaKerala bridal jasmine plait
Long braid wrapped in fresh jasmine garlands for Kerala brides.Braid · Any hair
🇮🇩 IndonesiaKonde Cepol
A traditional Betawi bun representing cultural identity and elegance.Updo · Any hair
🇳🇦 Namibia and 1 moreEembuvi
Traditional long braided headdress of Mbalantu women in Namibia.Braid · Straight hair
🇮🇳 IndiaPoola Jada
A floral and jewelled adornment for South Indian bridal braids.Adorned · Any hair
🇯🇵 JapanBunkin takashimada
Traditional Japanese bridal updo with a high bun.Updo · Any hair · 1860
WorldBraids
A hairstyle formed by interlacing three or more strands of hair.Braid · Any hair
🇲🇱 Mali and 1 moreGoffa
Traditional braided style with metal adornments for married women in Mali and Niger.Braid · Any hair
🇬🇭 GhanaDensinkran
Short Ashanti mourning cut for royal womenCut · Any hair
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Binyeo: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Tonsure: Pietro Perugino, Public domain, source
- Dreadlocks: Richard Mortel, CC BY 2.0, source
- Sidelock of youth: Unknown artist, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Braid: Ciell, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ukrainian wreath: Samuil Dudin (1863-1929), Public domain, source
- Dastar: Photography by Harkanwal Singh., CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Christian head covering: Petar Milošević, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mantilla: Museu Valencià d'Etnologia, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Jokduri: derivative work: Caspian blue ( talk ) Korean_dance-Jinju_pogurakmu-01, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Jewish headcovering: David Shankbone, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bun: Stilfehler, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sangtu: Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, source
- Greco-Roman hairstyles: ArchaiOptix, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Upsherin: Vered Peer, CC BY 4.0, source
- Polish plait: Adrian Grycuk, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, source
- Chinese hairpin: Augusthaiho, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Roman hairstyles: Colchester Museums, Caroline McDonald, 2004-06-02 14:47:52, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chonmage: not listed, Public domain, source
- Braids: Unknown author, Public domain, source