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 Not
in the Pacific Islands...
Work colleagues who have visited remote Pacific Islands told me
they could not wear a hat or sunglasses due to local customs.
We are assuming that this is because the head is very sacred in
many Pacific cultures (you shouldn't touch people on the head
either) and that sunglasses do not allow you to see a person's
eyes. Supposedly they relied heavily on natural shade and sunscreen.
Cindy, Australia
Not
in Bali...
I am the male partner of a member of your Journeywoman Network.
I am also an anthropologist (for what that's worth) and kind of
interested in your question. Hats, like any kind of clothing or
bodily adornment always carry a message of some kind 'in' the
visual language of wherever you happen to be. Whether you like
it or not your favourite hat which the locals are used to in your
local laundromat may mean more and different things somewhere
else. Regarding hats, the only place I know much about is Indonesia
(especially Bali) and there men wear hats more than women. The
only women who seem to wear them are agricultural workers who
want to protect their already brownish skins from the blackening
effects of the sun. It's a beauty thing. They wear either big
straw hats or turbans of whatever cloth is available. In a mosque
a female keeps her head covered. She doesn't in a Balinese temple.
This is getting complicated but I guess the message is there is
no universal 'hat' rule and the easy solution is simply to ask
with honesty and humility and most people will be only too happy
to tell you what is appropriate.
Graeme, Auckland, New Zealand
Not
in Buddhist temples...
When should a woman not wear a hat? Here's my answer. Women travellers
will be culturally incorrect if they don't remember to remove
their hats when entering Buddhist temples in Thailand.
Linda, Bangkok, Thailand
Not
in Buddhist temples...
I was asked to take my hat off before entering a Buddhist Temple
near Wollongong, south of Sydney Australia. This may not apply
worldwide as Buddhism seems to adapt to the geographical location
the temple is in. Not sure about that last fact, though. Does
anybody else know?
Grace, Sydney, Australia
Not
in Buddhist temples...
All headgear must be removed when entering a Buddhist temple.
This also applies to umbrellas or sunshades, in fact anything
held above the head. It is also not the done thing to touch anyone's
head in a Buddhist country and females must never touch a Buddhist
monk.
Jo, Norwich, England
Not
in Taoist temples...
I didn't know this before until I volunteered as a walking tour
guide in my local Vancouver Chinatown back when I was in college.
One of the designated places was a Taoist temple; the keeper there
(a monk) once told me that he wished that all visitors would have
the courtesy of taking off their hat before they enter a Taoist
temple. He was very distressed to see many visitors wearing baseball
hats and sunglasses in there.
Sheryl, Vancouver, Canada
I love
hats...
I
also am a hat wearer. In my travels to around 100 countries
I have never discovered an incorrect place to wear a hat.
In fact, in many places a hat is appreciated and often has
afforded me more respect than I would likely have gotten
without it.
Dorothy, Pennsylvania,
USA
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She pulled
down her hat...
It
was a cold winter's night in Montreal as I found myself
on the subway travelling back to my B&B in an outlying
neighbourhood. I was feeling a bit uneasy -- It was later
than I usually stayed out when I travelled solo. There were
plenty of people on the train when we left the downtown
core but as we moved further out, the car emptied quickly.
To soon, I found myself alone except for one other passenger
-- 
a middle-aged, slightly inebriated leering lout who realized
the potential of the situation. He began by calling out
to me and trying to establish eye contact. I didn't bite.
He tried again and again, each time just a little louder.
I retaliated by pulling my woollen cap down so that my eyes
were almost covered. I hunched my shoulders, took a bag
of chips from my backpack and began stuffing my mouth and
chewing loudly. Crumbs spewed on to my coat and into my
lap as I began to mutter to myself in French. He stopped
calling out and stared in amazement at my gross behaviour.
I continued muttering. I swear that he looked relieved when
he got off at his station.
(Source: Anonymous, Journeywoman files)
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