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Despite their cloistered livelihood, nuns have found their way into many veins of popular theater and movies. However, their usual depiction, wearing black habits with a veil and carrying a rosary, is not accurate for all nuns. It is true that the symbolic meaning of the habit is consistent across both Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions, representing “the simplicity of life, innocence, renunciation, penance and mortification, a hidden life in Christ” (“Our Religious Habit”). However, a nun’s appearance will vary greatly depending on the branch of Christianity she follows and the monastic order to which she belongs.
Catholic Nuns
A few basic garments are common nearly all female Catholic monastic orders. First there is a tunic, of a neutral color, which fits loosely and typically reaches the floor. Then, the scapular: this is an apron-like garment which covers both the front and the back. The scapular and tunic are usually tied with a belt around the waist, which, depending on the monastic order, may or may not have a rosary attached; a rosary is a set of beads which Catholics traditionally use to recite a specific set of prayers. Finally, most nuns wear a veil to cover the head; some orders of nuns additionally wear a coif, or wimple, beneath the veil to cover all their hair (qtd. in Denver Catholic Staff).
Upon these basic garments are a number of variations for Benedictine, Dominican, Carmelite, and Franciscan monastic orders.
- The Benedictines were founded by St. Benedict around 529 AD. They wear the habit with which theatergoers would be the most familiar (“A Brief History”). These are the nuns from Sister Act and The Sound of Music, with a black tunic and scapular, a white wimple, and a two-layered veil with a white bottom layer and a black top layer. Some Benedictine nuns also wear a black cuculla, or cowl, over their tunic and scapular for prayer or important occasions. Rosaries are worn not attached to the nun’s belt as it is in other Catholic orders; this is because the Benedictines traditionally grew their own food, an activity hardly suited to wearing a holy string of beads (Kosloski).
- The Dominicans, founded by St. Dominic in the 6th century, are on the complete opposite side of the color spectrum. A Dominican nun’s tunic and scapular are completely white. Her veil is black, although accented with white trim. Dominican nuns also have a garment called a cappa, colloquially called a mantle, which they wear during prayer and on special occasions (“Our Religious Habit”). Dominican nuns’ rosaries are attached to their belts, and are typically quite large (Kosloski).
- The Carmelites were founded near Mt. Carmel in Israel between the 12th and 13th centuries, but the first organization of Carmelite nuns was not until 200 years later. In the 16th century, St. Teresa of Avila formed the Order of Discalced Carmelite Nuns (ODC), which forms the basis for many Carmelite practices today (“History of the Carmelite Order;” Britannica; Kosloski). Carmelite nuns’ habits are easily distinguishable due to the brown color of the tunic and scapular. However, like other orders, Carmelite nuns wear a black veil, and often a white wimple underneath (“Why the Habit?”). Carmelite nuns also wear a cappa during prayer like the Dominicans; the Carmelite cappa is typically of a lighter brown color. Additionally, those who follow St. Teresa’s example are, as the name suggests, discalced, or shoeless (Kosloski).
- The Franciscans wear a habit the color of which depends on the congregation to which they belong, and may be any neutral color such as black, brown, white, or gray. However, Franciscan habits, inspired by the clothing worn by their founder St. Francis, are consistently simple, often featuring only a tunic tied by a rope belt. Knots tied in the rope represent the vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity a nun takes (Kosloski). Most Franciscan nuns wear only a simple black veil, though some also add a white wimple (Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist; “Called to be a Sister”).
Eastern Orthodox Nuns
Nuns are also an important part of the Eastern Orthodox Christian traditions, found mostly in Greece, Eastern Europe, and the Caucasus. Unlike Catholic monasticism, there are not monastic orders in Eastern Orthodox traditions. Rather, the specific practices and beliefs of Eastern Orthodox Christians are part of independent Orthodox churches that are divided largely by country. Likewise, the specific regulations and practices for nuns are highly decentralized – with the leader of each monastery most often having final say. Additionally, most Eastern Orthodox nuns have “ranks” and garments that differentiate them (Editor).
Thus, there is widespread diversity of nuns’ habits throughout the Eastern Orthodox traditions, and it is impossible to describe them all. However, the habits worn by many Eastern Orthodox nuns share similar components. That said, the names of each garment vary between traditions; the following explanation will predominantly use the Slavic terms as those are best known in English.
Basic components of most nuns’ habits include the undercassock, apostolnik, skufia, and prayer rope. The undercassock is a tunic, the apostolnik a veil, and the skufia a soft, often slightly pointed hat. The prayer rope is like a Catholic rosary, but with knots instead of beads.
The process of taking vows in Eastern Orthodoxy tends to be a slow process, especially initially. For a nun just beginning this process, often referred to as a “novice,” and often considered to have no rank, these garments may or may not be worn depending on the tradition of her abbey.
Nuns who have completed their vows generally earn the title of rassophore and are then issued the garments. Some rassophore nuns may wear an additional outer cassock and epanokamelavkion, a fez-like hat which, depending on the tradition, may be connected to a veil called a kamilavka to form one unit called a klobuk (Malov; “7 Types”). That said, the klobuk is typically worn only during church services and formal occasions, and in some traditions, only monks are allowed to wear it (Lebedeff; Malov).
When a nun has advanced further to the rank of stavrophore, a garment called the paraman might be added to her habit. The paraman is a small square of embroidered fabric worn on the back, connected to a pectoral cross in the front. The colors and designs of the paraman vary, but often depict the Passion of Christ. Finally, when a nun becomes part of the Great Schema, earning the title of Schema-nun, she earns a garment called the analav, akin to the Catholic scapular and also embroidered with biblical symbols. She might also wear a larger paraman (Editor).
Black is the most common color for most garments of an Eastern Orthodox nun’s habit. However, white and brown are also used in some traditions. Additionally, there are regional and local variations of many garments. In wintertime, it is not uncommon to see nuns add a shawl, sweater, or even a heavy coat to her habit.
Additionally, some Eastern Orthodox churches have a lay sisterhood – volunteer organizations of women who are highly involved with the life and work of the church but who have not taken vows and likely don’t intend to. They may perform similar duties, be addressed as “Sister,” and may wear a uniform that includes veils or other elements of a nun’s garb while performing tasks for the organization. One example is the lay sisterhood of the Convent of St. Elisabeth in Minsk, Belarus. These sisters perform charitable works in the church and throughout the community, and particularly in hospitals. When on duty, they wear white nursing aprons over plain clothes, and veils with an embroidered cross inspired by their patron saint, St. Elisabeth Romanov (“The Sisterhood”).
Conclusion: Time to Break Old Habits?
Clearly, costuming a nun character is not as simple as mainstream media can make it seem. Nuns’ dress is not only very intricate, with each element of the habit holding a special significance, but also highly varied throughout monastic orders and Christian traditions. Each of these differences has potential for unique symbolism in a theatrical performance. Additionally, it is important to note these differences for an accurate dramaturgical representation of time, geography, and culture.
Works Cited
“7 Types of Orthodox Clergy and Monastic Headgear.” The Catalogue of Good Deeds, 22 November 2018. Accessed 6 July 2024.
“A Brief History of the Benedictine Order.” OSB.org. Accessed 20 February 2023.
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Carmelite“. Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Apr. 2017. Accessed 20 February 2023.
“Called to be a Sister or a Nun.” Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity. Accessed 23 February 2023.
Denver Catholic Staff. “Each Garment a Sign, a Statement, a Reminder.” Denver Catholic, 9 Feb. 2015. Accessed 20 February 2023.
Editor. “A Look at Monastic Ranks in the Orthodox Church.” The Catalogue of Good Deeds, 14 February 2018. Accessed 6 July 2024.
Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist—A Pontifical Community. Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, 2023. Accessed 23 February 2023.
“History of the Carmelite Order.” Carmel of St. Therese of Lisieux. Accessed 20 February 2023.
Kosloski, Philip. “Why do Monks and Nuns Wear Different Colors?” Aleteia.org, 11 Jul. 2017. Accessed 20 February 2023.
Lebedeff, Alexander. “How to Greet a Monk or Nun.” Orthodox Christian Information Center. Accessed 6 July 2024.
Malov, John. “Monastic Clothing in Orthodoxy.” The Catalog of Good Deeds, 22 May 2022. Accessed 20 February 2023.
“Our Religious Habit.” Dominican Sisters of Mary Immaculate Province. Accessed 20 February 2023.
Scalia, Elizabeth. “The August Vocation Round-Up.” Patheos, 16 August 2010. Accessed 23 February 2023.
“The Sisterhood and lay sisters of St. Elisabeth Convent. Sr.Anastasia and sr.Alexandra. Live stream.” YouTube, uploaded by St Elisabeth Convent. Orthodox Life And Chants, 6 February 2021.
“Why the Habit?” Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles. Accessed 20 February 2023.
