is this old fashioned?

[jessica31876]

When I was a kid and when I took etiquette classes in high school (part of home-ec) I was taught when you sit down to eat you take off your hat (this mostly applied to guys because girls mostly did not wear hats). So is that weird or outdated? Am I the only one who was ever taught that? LOL

[xboxmom]

I think Boys should NEVER wear a hat inside!

[jessica31876]

Dont even get me started on how my family cuts their meat. No matter how often I show them the right way

[Sherri Tierney]

No hats at the dinner table here. In fact, no hats indoors unless its for playing dress up. Also, everyone MUST wear clothes at the table. My son likes to try and eat in his underwear for some reason (he's 6, its not a big deal now, but I don't want him trying it at 15). DH doesn't wear a shirt around the house all the time but he will go get one and put it on for dinner.

[hollyxann]

I think it is very inappropriate to wear your hat at the table.

I think it's ok to wear your hat inside, of course that is depending on where you are.

[digideb]

I was taught for guys to never wear a hat inside! I always take hubby's off his head when we go in somewhere. Apparently he wasn't taught that way. lol

[Traci Reed]

It's a toss up. I think most old rules of etiquette like that are silly and antiquated. I understand manners, please and thank you, covering your mouth, not talking with your mouth full, holding the door for others, they show courtesy for those around you...but what is courteous about taking off your hat? Not being able to see someone's hat head is rude?

LOL

Here's an interesting post on it, but it STILL doesn't explain why. I think it does a good job of showing just how silly the whole thing is though.

[Lyd]

Here are a couple ehow articles on the origin of the tradition:

http://www.ehow.com/info_10007542_di...ide-start.html
http://www.ehow.com/info_7893676_doe...ner-table.html

Nobody in my house wears a hat on a regular basis, so it hasn't been an issue for us at this point. And, my brain knows that it's not really a big deal. But, I still like it when men remove their hats for meals, prayers, the national anthem, etc.

[YepBrook]

I have no problem with hats. I do think removing them during prayer is Ok, but having a hat on for dinner or indoors doesn't bother me at all. I guess I wasn't taught "hat rules" growing up.

[kristijoy]

Originally Posted by Sherri Tierney

No hats at the dinner table here. In fact, no hats indoors unless its for playing dress up. Also, everyone MUST wear clothes at the table. My son likes to try and eat in his underwear for some reason (he's 6, its not a big deal now, but I don't want him trying it at 15). DH doesn't wear a shirt around the house all the time but he will go get one and put it on for dinner.

I can so relate to the clothes thing!! My kid always tries to eat in his jammies (he's 5)!!!

I'm here on the west coast where our etiquette is a bit more relaxed! I think I would be fine with a guy/gal wearing a hat inside, it may be part of the 'look'.

The only exception I would make would be at a formal function inside a church. Like at a sunday service or a wedding. No hats there. Same with shorts. You wouldn't wear shorts to church would you?

[jessica31876]

see and sunday service at alot of churches here you see LOTS of hats especially on women. At least I remember the women wearing hats when I went to church (have not been in a few years now)

[jessica31876]

Oh and FYI this conversation started when I asked my daughter what they taught her in ROTC about wearing her hat/taking it on/off at meals and inside buildings.

[Traci Reed]

We wear shorts to church...our church is "come as you are" and says that God doesn't care what you're wearing, only that you're there

[jessica31876]

the church I went to growing up until my late teens/early twenties most people wore "sunday best" but it was not like they would look down on someone who showed up shorts. Now that said they still have to be respectable shorts. Not like daisy dukes LOL. In general I wore dresses/skirt sets when going to church and was probably the only day I ever dressed that way.

[hollyxann]

I was raised Catholic and my grandmother is the one that took me to church with her.

Enough said there about attire....

[jessica31876]

I am Lutheran but had I not been raised Lutheran and baptized I felt the most comfortable in any other church in a cathlolic church (not sure how to word that). I went to a bunch of different chruches to get a feel for other religions and felt most at home in lutheran and catholic

[rach3975]

No regular hat wearers in my family, but I'm very relaxed about things like that. It wouldn't bother me at all for people to wear a hat indoors or at the table.

Interestingly, Jewish tradition takes the opposite approach to hats. It's respectful to keep your head covered, and when I was growing up all adults (anyone 13+) had to have their head covered in the synagogue during services. (The synagogue I grew up in still has the same rule and is generally pretty formal; I don't know what other, more casual synagogues say about it these days.)

[krystalhartley]

Originally Posted by Traci Reed

We wear shorts to church...our church is "come as you are" and says that God doesn't care what you're wearing, only that you're there

This is my personal philosophy, but I'm in the minority at my church. Some people are offended by my choice of clothes (for myself and my kids) and consider it disrespectful. I look at it more like, this is what I'm comfortable in. I am well groomed and less likely to fidget with my outfit like this. So shut the hell up and quit judging us and enjoy your freakin' sunday school lesson.

As far as hats indoors...I couldn't care less. I am one of those people that gets really annoyed at tradition for tradition's sake tho. I like there to be reasons for things. I am in no way offended by someone wearing a hat inddors or at the table or in church or even during a prayer.

[rach3975]

Lack of clothing bothers me more, LOL. Little kids (anyone not fully potty trained) can wear whatever works at home; if they come to the table half dressed, I don't care. Everyone else is expected to be dressed unless they're in their own bedroom. PJs are fine by me, but shirtless isn't.

[MamaBee]

My family are not hat wearers except for my mom, dad and step dad... hats do come off when they come into the house... and you would never see them wear one at the table.

I'm very old school when it comes to attire at church... we dress up for church as a sign of respect to God... I know not everyone shares my views - so don't hate me. The men wear suits and ties (even my 4 year old)... however, I do wear dress pants - which my mom hates - not something I got away with when I was still living at home. I'm born and raised Lutheran.

[hollyxann]

Originally Posted by Traci Reed

We wear shorts to church...our church is "come as you are" and says that God doesn't care what you're wearing, only that you're there

Ultimately this is how I feel. Except for Holidays.

[nikkiARNGwife]

Obviously we can be a bit more traditional down South...no hats inside especially at the dinner table..and I don't think I've ever met anyone who didn't follow that rule around here. I think it's just seen as being respectful..and maybe a long time ago people felt that wearing a hat indoors was being disrespectful..not saying that it is..just that that's where it came from.

We wear Sunday best on Sunday morning to church..more relaxed on Sunday nights and Wednesday Prayer Meeting. I think it's just showing respect..setting aside Sunday Worship for God..putting our best foot forward... that sort of thing.

[Stacey42]

We're not big hat wearers here. Pretty much only when you are outside in the sun or it's freezing cold outside is a hat worn so they get taken off as soon as you come in

I do remember my mom telling my brother to take his baseball cap off at the table, but she was perfectly content to let him sit there in his swim trunks and nothing else.

I don't care personally, wear the hat or not. The only thing I insist on is you be wearing more than just your underwear

[jessica31876]

I think it bothers me more when we got out to eat when someone Im eating with wears a hat then when we are at home and they do. My husband does not wear a hat except a knit one in the winter cause he is a big ole wimp (transplanted northerner) and cannot handle Florida winters. But he takes it off as soon as he is inside cause it is usually warmer inside. I guess to me when you are indoors eating together it is nice to see everyoen's face and a hat tends to block that.

[Paula]

No it's not weird or outdated in my book. Neither is coming to the dinner table with a shirt on. My daddy would never let any male at our table unless he had a shirt on.

[kendallt]

I was raised no hats at the dinner table or in church...period! I kinda always assumed that was more of a southern thing though.

[lovely1m]

I was always taught it is good manners for a man to take off his hat in church and at the table, but women were allowed to leave them on (I would make an exception though if a woman was wearing a man's hat).

[Darcy Baldwin]

It's not old fashion to follow established etiquette. But, then again, we do require the boys to say ma'am and sir, so we probably are a bit old fashioned.

We teach our boys to take off their hats at dinner tables and inside someone else's private spaces (homes) and church and for prayer no matter where we are.

We also have a casual, idea about entering for worship. Every other function at church that isn't formal has us in more come as you are, but for worship, we do at least do nice casual, jeans and nice shirts or better. But that's a family thing, not a church thing. G-d cares more about attitude than He does attire

[pewtertm]

Our church is very open in terms of dress...you'll see suits & ties, dresses, jeans, shorts, miniskirts (sometimes a bit too revealing IMO...don't want to see THAT when you bend over ICK), but the guys do take off their hats. Ladies don't, the few who I've seen wear them anyway.

We never had an issue with hats at the table...mainly because my dad was the only one who wore a hat and he never ate at the table :/ DH wears hats but only when we are out and about to keep the sun out of his face.

We definitely take off caps (only hats we wear, and that's mainly at ballgames etc) during prayer, the pledge, Star-Spangled Banner, etc...we view it as a sign of respect.

[Paula]

Originally Posted by krystalhartley

This is my personal philosophy, but I'm in the minority at my church. Some people are offended by my choice of clothes (for myself and my kids) and consider it disrespectful. I look at it more like, this is what I'm comfortable in. I am well groomed and less likely to fidget with my outfit like this. So shut the hell up and quit judging us and enjoy your freakin' sunday school lesson.

I totally agree with you here Krystal. We have some ladies that wear pants to church especially in the winter, and there are those religious die hards that say it isn't respectful. Well, my opinion is that God doesn't care, especially since the ladies wearing the pants are in their 80s and suffer from bad arthritis AND they always look so darn cute. I think he cares more that you're there than what you're wearing.

[ryliesmom]

I still stick to traditions like this. DH doesn't wear hats, but DS likes to and I don't let him wear them inside. I don't wear white between Labor Day and Easter either.

At church we dress up the best we can. Our church is a little dressier than my in-laws' church, but their church is in a smaller, country setting. At both congregations people wear their best whether it be jeans or dresses. The way I look at it is if I can dress up for a nice evening out to dinner or the theater, I can dress up for God, but that's just my personal opinion.

Maybe it's the Southern Belle in me; we like our traditions down here.

[SweetMelissa]

No hats when you eat. At all. I've been to people's houses where they asked others to remove their hats and some people don't. I think that's a more personal preference.

[Milmomma]

I guess I'm really traditional. I blame the military. No hats indoors, shoes off at the front door, must be dressed seat with clean hands and face before you may eat. We say "yes, ma'am" and "no sir", and "please and thank you" also we ask "may I have..." No elbows on my table and you hold the door if there is someone behind you. No slurping and you must eat with your mouth closed. "Ya" is not an acceptable response from my kids to an adult. (that gets on my nerves)
We wear Sunday best even when the kids were babies. And it's much more formal for holidays. I'm baptist but this is personal thing. Our church has a come as you are, but I was raised otherwise.

[color of my heart]

Originally Posted by Traci Reed

We wear shorts to church...our church is "come as you are" and says that God doesn't care what you're wearing, only that you're there

we're the same way. especially once it starts warming up. it's funny to see the range of clothing. i see people in casual casual, but then i see dressy "sunday best". it's personal preference.

as for hats, i was taught that you don't wear hats at the dinner table. my dad wears a hat in the house, but when it comes to dinner or eating, it comes off.

[Amber Dixon]

Ditto!!

Originally Posted by YepBrook

I have no problem with hats. I do think removing them during prayer is Ok, but having a hat on for dinner or indoors doesn't bother me at all. I guess I wasn't taught "hat rules" growing up.

[nun69]

we don't wear alot of hats around here, but I do think if you come to the dinner table I would like to see your face when you are eating and not have it hidden under the rim of your hat. But I don't have a problem with people wearing hats indoors. But I come from the Navy side of the house and you ALWAYS take your hate/cover off indoors unless it is for ceremonial reasons.