Their basis is the Bible where Peter instructed followers against braiding of the hair (1 Peter 3:3). Paul also told Timothy to convey to the women in the church of Ephesus not to braid their hair (1 Timothy 2:9). But the real message of the two verses is about humility and modesty.
In short, as long as you're not intending to draw attention to yourself in a way that puts others down, there is nothing whatsoever wrong with braiding your hair.
Braids have been used to symbolize wealth, marital status, age, and rank. They're also functional, keeping their wearers cool and unencumbered so they can work without getting hair in their eyes.
The Bible says that any woman who cuts and styles her hair to be so short as to look like a man's might as well be shorn (shaved) to symbolize a fallen woman. God views a woman cutting her hair short as a sign of open rebellion toward her Creator (verse 6). Cutting one's hair is not the same as shearing or shaving it.
“The origin of braids can be traced back 5000 years in African culture to 3500 BC—they were very popular among women.” Braids are not just a style; this craft is a form of art. “Braiding started in Africa with the Himba people of Namibia,” says Pace. “These people have been braiding their hair for centuries.
Box braids originate in South Africa and can be traced back to 3500 B.C. This style, then and into the present day, takes up to eight hours to create. Many believed if a woman was able to afford the time and cost of these braids, she was a woman of wealth.
Cornrows were a sign of resistance for slaves because they used it as maps to escape from slavery and they would hide rice or seeds into their braids on their way to enslavement.
The significance of hair is woven throughout the Old and New testaments. In ancient Israel, hair signified important features of identity with respect to gender, ethnicity and holiness, said Susan Niditch, author of, “My brother Esau is a Hairy Man: Hair and Identity in Ancient Israel.”
To be covered he then only forbids, when a man is praying; but the wearing of long hair he discourages at all times. John Chrysostom held that to be disobedient to the Christian teaching on veiling was harmful and sinful: "… the business of whether to cover one's head was legislated by nature (see 1 Cor 11:14–15).
Given all this, some people are confused about whether makeup and jewelry are permissible for people of faith. But the Bible never says it is wrong or sinful to wear makeup or jewelry.
Their basis is the Bible where Peter instructed followers against braiding of the hair (1 Peter 3:3). Paul also told Timothy to convey to the women in the church of Ephesus not to braid their hair (1 Timothy 2:9). But the real message of the two verses is about humility and modesty.
Braids. Braids indicate that you are loyal to a fault and that your energy never wanes when it comes to protecting the ones you love. Sticks and stones certainly don't break your bones, but if you overhear someone picking on friends and family, you are the first to jump in to defend them.
Braids are a great protective hairdo as you don't have to style your hair every day, but it won't be healthy unless you nourish it. “Once your braids are installed, it's important to keep your natural hair moisturised and lubricated. Synthetic hair often dehydrates natural hair.
Religions such as Orthodox Judaism, Rastafarianism, and Sikhism all prohibit haircuts, the removal of facial hair, or a combination of the two due to beliefs that hair is sacred or a gift from God.
1 Peter 3:3-4: "Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious."
Matthew 10:30-31 In-Context
30 God even knows how many hairs are on your head. 31 So don't be afraid. You are worth much more than many sparrows.
1 Corinthians 11:15 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓]
For long hair is given to her as a covering. 1 Corinthians 11:15, ESV: but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering.
WATCH: Jesus: His Life in HISTORY Vault
For many scholars, Revelation 1:14-15 offers a clue that Jesus's skin was a darker hue and that his hair was woolly in texture. The hairs of his head, it says, "were white as white wool, white as snow.
Some evangelical Christian women rely on a long sheath of hair to cover their heads in humility, and the Amish believe that the Bible instructs women to grow their hair long and married men to let their beards grow as a way of rising above secular fashion. Sensing a pattern?
Jesus cautioned His followers, “Do not promise by your head. You are not able to make one hair white or black” (Matthew 5:36 NLV).
Africans wore these tight braids laid along the scalp as a representation of agriculture, order and a civilized way of life. These type of braids have served many purposes, from an everyday convenience to a more elaborate adornment meant for special occasions.
During American slavery, Africans and their descendants born into slavery wore braids to maintain a neat and tidy look while working and to keep their hair from their faces when outside. Slaves would use household products like butter and cooking grease when braiding, absent of the natural resources in Africa prior.
Braids — and cornrows, in particular — have a rich history in Black culture, she explains. The style was once used as a symbol of resistance for slaves, who braided rice seeds into their hair prior to their journey of enslavement in order to possibly grow food.