Veil facts for kids

Photo of two French women, about 1900.

Model with veil and amazing hat. Manish Arora design at London Fashion Week 2007.

'Veil' is also used figuratively. This is a telescopic photograph of the Veil Nebula in the constellation of Cygnus. It is the remains of a supernova.

A veil is a soft covering of all or part of the face. It has often been used by women in many cultures. It is often used by brides on their wedding day. It may have religious meaning, or it may be used for pleasure or dance. It is different from a mask because a mask is close-fitting, and often firm or hard, while a veil is soft and may fit loosely.

Veils as communication

Veils are a kind of non-verbal communication. They always have some kind of unspoken message.

The most important part of the head (for the viewer) is the face, because the human face takes part in communication. Covering it says, in effect, 'this person is not available'. That is why it has been used so often by women. Because it is of soft material, the veil may be lifted back over the head or unclipped from one side. This is also a signal. It says 'now I am available'. So brides lift their veil at the point when they are married.

Veils may be, and often are, partly transparent. This adds ambiguity and mystery to the 'message' it offers the viewer; it is a 'fashion statement'. The raising or dropping of veils is a sign of intimacy: the wearer, who was covered, is now in the open. Extreme example: Salome and the (fictional) dance of the seven veils.

• Mask
• Make-up

Images for kids

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  Standing woman holding her veil. Terracotta figurine, ca. 400–375 BC.

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  Depiction of Isabeau of Bavaria, queen of France, wearing veiling

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  Praying Jewish woman wearing Tichel

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  Aër covering a chalice and diskos on the prothesis

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  Sanctuary in the Basilique Saint-Denis showing veiling to either side of the altar

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  An altar cross veiled during Holy Week

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  Western burse and chalice veil laid over the holy vessels. There is also a maniple sitting to the right of the chalice.

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  Professed nuns wearing black veils

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  Women in the predominantly Islamic country of Algeria wearing a haïk, a type of veil.

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  A bride wearing a typical wedding veil

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  Salvadoran women wear distinctive regional veils. Salvadoran veils are an important traditional folkloric adornment for women in El Salvador's cultural attire.

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  Amadou Bamba, 1923

See also

In Spanish: Velo para niños