What to wear in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

[francesh17]

Hi all,
I am 16 and walking a portion of the Camino with my confirmation group. I was wondering what is appropriate to wear in the Cathedral? Do you need to have shoulders covered and a long skirt? Or is it ok to wear shorts?
Thanks,
Frances

 

[Anniesantiago]

People do wear shorts, but I think it is not respectful. If you have a skirt or sarong, or even long pants, personally I think it would be better. But that's me...

 

[francesh17]

People do wear shorts, but I think it is not respectful. If you have a skirt or sarong, or even long pants, personally I think it would be better. But that's me...

thanks. Ill bring a skirt.

 

[SYates]

thanks. Ill bring a skirt.

If you have anyway long trousers with you they are fine also. Some people also send ahead a set of "town clothes" to Santiago, this way you avoid carrying them the whole way and are well dressed after the Camino. Buen Camino! SY

 

[natefaith]

Yes, skirt or long pants are most commonly seen on women in the Cathedral, but they won't turn you away if all you have are shorts.

Have a great Camino! It's great that you get to have this adventure at age 16!
Take care,
Faith

 

[PEI_Heather]

If you want to take a skirt, you could take a silk one--it would be really light and easy to roll up to carry, and would be quick to dry if you chose to wear it during your Camino walk. Or, you could wait until you got to Santiago and buy a skirt. Or a big scarf to wear as a sarong skirt. There are lots of places to shop in Santiago.
I think it is awesome that you are 16 and going to walk the Camino! (And that you show a great deal of maturity in being concerned about what to wear in the Cathedral.) You are going to have an amazing time, Frances! Buen Camino!

 

[VNwalking]

How incredibly wonderful that you'll be doing this!
Who knows how your journey will be (the Camino has both joys and challenges...) but you'll never forget it!
If you can, Syates's idea is good. I did that and it was great to have town clothes without having to carry them 800Kms. Ivar has a luggage storage service...or as another has suggested: shop...SdC would be a fun place to do that.
Besides being more respectful, it feels very nice to go to the mass dressed in clothes that haven't been on the road for too long--and it's a kindness to others.
However you go...buen Camino!

 

[PEI_Heather]

Yes, I did this--sent clothing ahead to Ivar's Office And Storage Service ( ) last year when I got to Lisbon. It was a real treat to wear something familiar yet 'new' (a new choice over the two shirts and two pair of trousers I'd been wearing for the 4 weeks of walking)! It's a great service and a good fair price.

 

[marcod]

People send you away when you are carrying a backpacking. Supid, but for security reasons..

 

[natefaith]

People send you away when you are carrying a backpacking. Supid, but for security reasons..

Yes, it's very good to know that you can't enter the Cathedral anymore with your pack.
Faith

 

[amorfati1]

Hi all,
I am 16 and walking a portion of the Camino with my confirmation group. I was wondering what is appropriate to wear in the Cathedral? Do you need to have shoulders covered and a long skirt? Or is it ok to wear shorts?
Thanks,
Frances

appropriate would be clothing that covers shoulders (i.e. no tank tops, not any mega-tight clothing aka gym-outfits/legings, etc) and ideally be appropriate in other respects as well. (clean, non-torn, etc). If you don't have long pants/skirt/dress ... you might have a shawl that could be multi-purposed and be worn as a 'skirt'. Doesn't need to be floor length or such ... just an attire that reflects respect to a place/abode of worship and prayer.... be it a temple, a mosque or a church. -- it's a cathedral - it's not a museum nor a theatre...
thank you for asking and inquiring.

 

[annakappa]

Hi all,
I am 16 and walking a portion of the Camino with my confirmation group. I was wondering what is appropriate to wear in the Cathedral? Do you need to have shoulders covered and a long skirt? Or is it ok to wear shorts?
Thanks,
Frances

Thank you for asking this question. Wise girl!
Several members have given you the guidelines. Buen Camino and enjoy this fabulous experience!

 

[JaneI]

Can I give a slightly different view? When we arrived at the Cathedral last week for our first ever pilgrim mass I loved the fact that so many people there had clearly, as we had, walked straight into the city from their camino and hardly stopped to dust the sand from their feet, so to speak. There were shorts, worn out trainers, hiking boots, scruffy Tshirts, bare shoulders, unwashed hair - and none of it felt in the least disrespectful. Exactly the opposite to me - the Cathedral is a place of pilgrimage, and the dusty, unwashed pilgrims, I felt, were welcomed with open arms to their spiritual 'home'.

It would be different at a 'normal' mass on a Sunday morning, but for me, to be in communion with fellow pilgrims at a mass in which we were specifically welcomed and blessed, was a powerful and incredibly moving experience and it would have felt different if I had first gone to my accommodation/washed/changed (indeed it did feel different when I went back to the pilgrim mass the following day, looking much tidier but already starting to feel less like a pilgrim).

Far more disrespect was shown, I felt, by those (peregrinos and, far more, tourists) who insisted on taking photos on their mobile phones throughout the mass. And most of all as we went up for the Eucharist - including one chap who was spoken to by the security man and still carried on videoing the whole service

I suspect neither God nor St James will mind what you are wearing @francesh17 - they will just welcome you as a committed peregrino with a good heart. Buen camino!

 

[jsalt]

taking photos on their mobile phones

I smiled in delight when I saw one of the young priests, in his prime position near the altar, trying to discreetly take a photo, with his mobile phone, of the botofumeiro just before it shot up in the air.

 

[Jfking]

Yes, it's very good to know that you can't enter the Cathedral anymore with your pack.
Faith

Where do you leave your backpacks during mass?

 

[domigee]

I leave it at the albergue or hotel where I am staying.