 Clerical clothing covering the head, neck, and shoulders |
An apostolnik or epimandylion is an item of clerical clothing worn by Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic nuns. It is a cloth veil that covers the head, neck, and shoulders1 similar to a khimār form of hijab worn by Muslim women, usually black,2 but sometimes white.3 It is sometimes worn with a skufia.4
The nun typically receives the apostolnik when she becomes a novitiate. While it is usually replaced with the epanokalimavkion when the nun becomes a rassophor, many nuns will continue to wear the apostolnik for the sake of convenience, much as a monk will continue to wear a skufia instead of a when not attending the .
