In honor of Mothers Day (May 10, 2026), this article will showcase how various cultures view hair braiding as a nurturing practice between maternal women and the young members of their community. Mothers Day is meant to celebrate all women who provide significant physical and emotional care, support, and protection to another person. This appreciation for mothers therefore extends beyond biology, and is more so about the maternal bond that is reinforced when braiding hair.

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Hair braiding has a long and complex history...

      Starting with the beautifully intricate hairstyles found in African and African derived cultures, hair braiding has played a meaningful role in the history of slavery and emancipation. Long before the slave trade began, hair was a way to express personality, community, and cultural identity all across Africa. However, once enslaved, many Africans had their heads forcibly shaved as a way to strip them of all these things as well as their humanity. This slightly changed once overseas on the plantations and many slaves only had one day each week (Sundays) to maintain their self-care. Braiding therefore became an essential hairstyle due to the simplicity and ability to last for days at a time without becoming tangled. Many women have shared stories of hair braiding days and how it was a way for them to have a safe place to connect and potentially communicate with each other. One example that suggests this is because “In popular African folklore it is said that female slaves would have their hair braided into derivative forms of cornrows to depict escape routes for runaways” (Heavy is the Head). It is also said that some women would even hide valuable objects such as seeds or gold to aid in their survival after they reach freedom. These examples show how women within these communities not only used their hair as a way to achieve personal freedom, but how they would also pass the information along to other girls and women so they could do the same. This year, on May 21st, is the annual Afro-hairdressing competition, "Tejiendo Esperanzas," held in Cali, Colombia. The competition often corresponds with Afro-Colombian Day, the commemoration of the abolition of slavery in Colombia in 1851, as a way to showcase their Afro-Colombian heritage and identity. 

     In a similar way to how hair braiding in African traditions is seen as an indicator of individual and cultural expression, many Native people in North America also believe that hair is a form of self-expression that reinforces their connection to one’s family, tribe, and Creation. This connection is very important and therefore hair braiding has become a ritualistic practice that keeps these relationships strong. Specifically for mothers, it helps to strengthen the nurturing characteristics of her and her child’s relationship and helps to establish a deep-rooted emotional and physical bond between them. Many Native communities teach that braided hair symbolizes the importance of the relationships between friends and family with a comparison of how a braid stays strong when tugged, whereas a single strand breaks. This is also part of the reason why the only time a Native person might choose to cut their hair is in a time of intense loss or change in one’s life. Cutting the hair also cuts off that opportunity for bonding, meaning that the hair is deeply sentimental and carries a significant amount of emotional and spiritual weight. ​

     For many cultures, the idea that hair holds sentimental value is quite common, however, each one expresses this in different ways. While many cultures emphasize the bond between the person whose hair is being braided and the one braiding, some also see sentimental value in the hair itself. For example, The art of ‘hairworking’ is the craft of making jewelry and art from hair which dates back to the late 1700s in Sweden. What started in a small Swedish village called Våmhus, would soon spread all over Europe. The women artisans traveled to the major cities making a living by selling their hair jewelry. 

     In a period of heightened cultural sentimentality, many used the artform in mourning as a way to remember their lost loved ones. Here is an example of a mourning ring that features a plait of hair with an inscription on the back which reads: “Sarah Hetherington Ob: 7 Apr.1786 Aet. 7 Ms Wm Hetherington Ob 31 July 1786 Aet 8 Yrs 9 Ms.” Upon further research, it is likely that the inscription is referring to the death of two young siblings, Sarah (7 months) and William (8 years 9 Months) Hetherington, who passed within a few months of each other in April and July of 1786, respectively. Based on the width of the ring, it presumably belonged to a woman; and while we cannot be sure if she was their mother or not, these children must have been important enough to her to commemorate them in a piece of fine jewelry. 

     The craft was so common that by the 19th century, how-to booklets and articles were published to teach readers how to create their own hair jewelry and art, thus intensifying its popularity. Women also taught each other the skill by forming braiding "circles" where women would sit together to practice similarly to sewing bees. Although the art of hair jewelry caught on quite quickly, it finally peaked during the Victorian era (1837-1901). 

     Another culture that emphasizes the communal aspect of hair braiding by having multiple women sitting around one young woman braiding her hair all at once is in the Golak community of Tibet. Part of the female right-of-passage ritual is to have a “hair braiding woman” come to assist in the braiding of the young woman’s hair. The “hair braiding woman” is a figure from the community who is especially virtuous (according to their specific cultural standards), and plays a central role in the preparation for the girl entering womanhood— and later, marriage. The “hair-braiding woman” and other female friends and family of the young woman or bride will sit in a circle together all braiding different strands until they reach the symbolic 108 braids. However, the number of braids can vary from different regions, but are oftentimes very intricate and ornamental and they always are an indication of the woman’s social status, tribe, and fashions of the time.

Similar or Different?​

     It is interesting to explore the various ways that these different cultures view hair braiding. However, the takeaway from this is hopefully how much we actually have in common with one another, regardless of what background we come from. Each culture placed women in nurturing and emotional positions within the community, but specifically roles that had a strong association with hair braiding. Many of us also have our own personal connections with hair braiding as well, and I am willing to bet that most of these memories are shared with your mom.