UNIT 7 - "The braid - the beauty"

In the olden days Russia the only hairstyle known to females was a braid. Young girls braided their hair with silk ribbons, and married woman covered their head with showls, but both had the plait.

The braid was not just a hairstyle.
Firstly, it was an important indication to whether the girl was married or not - one plait if she was, two plaits if she wasn't.
Secondly, it was located on the back and made of three hair parts put together in a continuous arrow pattern pointing to the head. This was because it was believed that through the spine (and thus the braid) energy is transported to the rest of the body.
Furthermore, touching the girl's hair was equal to a sacred ritual because it was an analogy to touching her energy. This is why the hair was brushed at least 40 times and always re-braided in the morning - to give the girl more energy for the new day. The braiding process was only done by parents, girlfriends or the husband. (In fact the first time the girl allowed her husband to un-plait her hair is equal to giving her virginity away)
In addition, cutting the plait meant changing the whole life, this is why it only happened when a girl decided to become a nun.
Lastly, the plait represented the wealthiness and the well being of the female, this is why girls who didn't have much hair braided in horse hairs into their plait!