Earrings are great and essential pieces of jewelry, especially for women. They are a great way of completing an outfit or making a statement. Earrings also have a lot of symbolism attached to them, depending on how they are worn and who wears them.
People’s perspectives about wearing earrings vary depending on culture, religion, and personal beliefs among others.
In this post, we will attempt to establish whether or not wearing earrings is a sin for both men and women. We will also discuss the meaning it holds in different religions and contexts.
Is It a Sin for a Man to Wear Earrings?
Although wearing earrings was originally thought to be feminine in many cultures, over time, however, it’s become a norm to see men wearing earrings – and that too, on both ears. While more and more people are becoming more open to the idea, some religions still consider it a sin.
Religions like Christianity, Islam, and the Jews, consider it a sin for a man to wear earrings, mainly because it is considered a feminine trait. For these religions, it is considered a sin or abomination for a man to try to imitate a woman.
In Islam, the only type of jewelry men is allowed to wear is a silver ring and nothing more. Additionally, piercings are viewed in such religions as body modification which is considered a sin. Its seen as altering God’s perfect creation.
Still, there is no religious scripture that implicitly statesmen should not wear earrings. These are simply interpretations of what the religious scriptures say.
Is It Unprofessional for A Man to Wear Earrings?
The social acceptance for men wearing earrings is growing, but there is some stigma still attached to it. At work, a man can be seen as unprofessional because of wearing earrings. They are normally interpreted as being flamboyant, immature, and untrustworthy. This view can, however, vary based on the organization and the position a person holds.
You won’t find most salesmen with ear piercings. That is because for them image is everything. They could lose clients because of the client’s bias opinion against ear piercings. The same goes for CEOs, most people wouldn’t take a CEO wearing earrings seriously. There are, however, certain workplaces like an average restaurant, café, or clothing stores that are more lenient. Job positions like creative positions are also less formal.
At the bottom of it, wearing earrings is a personal sense of style. If you wearing earrings would harm your organization’s image, then it’s better to leave the earrings at home. You shouldn’t put your interests above the company that hires you.
The opinion on the professionalism of men wearing earrings differs with every organization. If you are unsure about the company’s stand on the matter, you should ask HR or management for guidance. Alternatively, you could silently observe your male workmates see if any of them have any piercings.
What Do Earrings on Guys Mean?
Like necklaces, earrings are another piece of jewelry that holds a lot of different meanings, especially when it comes to men. The act of wearing earrings dates back even before biblical times, and over the years it has adopted various meanings.
Before the early middle ages, wearing earrings was as popular among men as it was among women. It was seen as exotic and unique. Then came the Renaissance period, when the practice became less popular. During this period, men at first wore earrings as a status symbol of wealth. After some years, it was ironically used as a sign of slavery, where a man would wear earrings to show he was owned by a master.
During the 20th century around the late 1960s, men with ear piercings were seen as a sign of non-conformity and rebellion thanks to the rise of the hippy movement. A decade later with the introduction of punk rock, having multiple piercings including ear piercings became popular among both men and women.
In the 1980s when more and more homosexuals begun coming out, a man wearing an earring on the right ear was used as a sign that he was gay. If the earing was worn on the left ear, then he was considered straight.
Today, men wear earrings on both ears. Thanks to celebrities like famous pop stars and sportsmen, men with both ear piercings are seen as a normal thing.
Is It a Sin for a Woman to Wear Earrings?
It is common to see women adorned in earrings even from a young age. Although it is acceptable in most cultures and considered a feminine trait, some religions have contradicting views on women wearing piercings.
In Christianity, the more conservative members believe that even women wearing piercings are a sin. This is because it is seen as a modification of God’s creation to pierce one’s ears, and that is considered an abomination. Just like with men, however, there is nowhere written in the Bible that women should not wear earrings. Several scriptures talk of women being adorned in jewelry including earrings.
What most religions stress, like Islam and Christianity for example, is modesty. They believe that in as much as a woman adorns herself, she should do so in a modest manner. What they wear, including earrings, should not attract undue attention from them. They should also not have any sex appeal to anyone other than the woman’s spouse.
Meaning of Earrings in The Bible
Earrings are mentioned a lot throughout the bible. The biblical view of earing varies between good and bad. In some parts of the scriptures, wearing earrings was seen as a form of idol worship. An example of these is seen in Exodus 32:2-4 when Aron asked the Israelites to give him all their gold ornaments including earrings which he then used to fashion a golden calf and named it their god. Even Jacob in Genesis 35:2-4 asked his household to purify themselves by giving up their foreign gods, ornaments, and garments. The scripture states that they removed the rings in their ear and gave them to Jacob along with their foreign gods.
The Bible, however, also has a positive perspective when it comes to earrings. In many scriptures, they are depicted as gold ornaments that people gave up to the Lord as an offering.
This is mentioned in Numbers 31:50. The bottom line is the meaning of earrings in the bible is based on individual interpretation of the scriptures.
Is Earrings a Sin in Islam?
In Islam, there is nowhere written in the Quran that it is haram to pierce one’s ears, nor is it written that is a sin to be adorned in earrings. This is true for both men and women. The religion, however, does not allow men to wear earrings.
This is because it is seen as a female act, and it is a haram for a man to imitate a woman. Men are not allowed to wear any gold ornaments as they were seen as women’s jewelry.
Women on the other hand are allowed to pierce their ears. It is seen as something they need to put jewelry in them. Also, when done at a young age it is considered less painful hence not a haram.
Conclusion
As mentioned, earrings hold a lot of symbolism among different groups of people.
While the act of wearing earrings is becoming a norm for both men and women, some religions like Islam and Christianity have certain restrictions.
At the end of the day, wearing earrings is a personal choice so it mainly depends on a person’s faith and belief.
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Stephanie is a jewelry lover when she was a teenager. Her major was fashion design when she was in college. She is a jewelry designer at SOQ Jewelry and other design companies. Now she is also a writer for our website. She writes a lot of designs&brands posts with very actionable tips.