Black or white?

Which colour should one's mantilla be? Traditionally it has always been white for infants and the unmarried and black for married women and widows. 

Of course a lady may wear any colour and some even wear beautiful bright coloured veils, or liturgical colours- blue for Our Lady, gold or silver for Our Lord. 

A pretty little lady in a prayerful poise, wearing a white lace mantilla.

Young girls wearing pastel coloured mantillas and a lady wearing a black veil. 

There is no 'colour code' and this deep red mantilla is glorious on any age!

A stunning collection of coloured mantillas.

"Modesty in a woman is the sign

that Jesus Christ dwells in her heart.  

It is a sweet perfume of edification 

which she is called upon to diffuse."

Eyes toward Heaven

It is believed that not only do mantillas help one's humility towards God in a physical way, but also in a spiritual manner. When a lady is veiled she is more inclined to feel directed towards everything holy. This piece of material enshrouds her and she is able for that hour or so to leave her earthly thoughts behind and set her eyes upon Heaven.

The mantilla helps to concentrate on the sacred.

Heart upon God.

Praying at Holy Mass unaware of her surroundings.

Holy Terra!

Here is a stunning little baby, Terra, in her ivory mantilla for Holy Mass, adorned with little flower clips for extra gorgeous effect!

Beautiful Bridal Mantillas

The Holy Sacrament of Matrimony is so special that the spouses become one from that day forth and can reap graces for each other.

By covering her head with a beautiful veil, the bride shows reverence to both God and her husband-to-be.

Here are some more glorious Wedding mantillas;

A 'Juliet cap veil' originate from Romeo and Juliet's Juliet. This veil is cream floral vintage lace combined with Nottingham lace, which flows to the floor.

Such a pretty, antique veil.

Feminine lace mantilla style veil.

'Signing the register' by Edward Blair Leighton.
Modest and veiled.

Grace Therese

Grace Therese enjoys playing 'Holy Mass' at home. She dons one of her mantillas and pops her Mass bag around her neck (!), tells me she's going to Mass, and then kneels very reverently on the floor (any floor) and 'prays'. She flicks through a missal or two and  a prayer book, and then begins all over again. 

I pray she will always wear her mantillas with love and humility.

Veiling the sacred

A bride veils herself to show humility before God first, and then to her husband. 'Veiling the sacred'..by hiding herself and covering her hair, she is showing the world that she is giving herself to her husband alone. Women veil for some of the most important times in their lives- their First Holy Communion Day, and either their Wedding Day or their Sacred Profession day if they choose the religious life. 

Such a modest and pretty lace dress and veil!

Queen Sofia of Spain in her Wedding mantilla. 

Traditional mantillas.

Mantilla; that beautiful word originates from Spain, home of the lace head veils that women have adorned their heads with, especially on high Holydays, for centuries, from around the end of the 1500s...Cooler than a hat in that warm, sultry weather, they quickly became popular and have remained so, especially within the traditional Catholic communities.
The traditional style of mantilla is held in place by a large comb called a peineta. 

During Holy Week in Spain little Spanish senoritas can be spotted wearing white lace mantillas. Aren't they stunning?

Here one can see the peineta holding the lace veil in place.

Glorious lace and roses!