Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
What did the CHURCHING of a woman after childbirth entail and why was this ceremony thought necessary in the past? Was it a sign of the patriarchy, of men subjugating women, or was it a popular female ceremony which was looked forward to and even enjoyed by the new mothers? In this week’s documentary from History Calling we look at the history of churching.
The video will cover churching’s basis in scripture, its links to Judaism, Catholicism and Protestantism, why churching was performed, how churching was done, and how it changed over the years, plus the practice of making an offering to the church upon the occasion (generally the baby’s chrisom cloth, or else cash), why women wearing a veil was a contentious issue and whether churching was a punishment for sin (based on the idea that women were impure after giving birth), or a celebration of a woman’s survival of childbirth. I’ll also tell you how churchings were different for mothers of illegitimate children, how the Puritans reacted to this ritual in 1640s England, what happened to women who died in childbirth without being churched and how popular churching remained even into the mid 20th century. You’ll learn too why unchurched women were called green women and why the month after their delivery was referred to as their husband’s gander month.
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Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
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#Churching #churchedwomen #HistoryOfChildbirth #ChildbirthInHistory
What did the CHURCHING of a woman after childbirth entail and why was this ceremony thought necessary in the past? Was it a sign of the patriarchy, of men subjugating women, or was it a popular female ceremony which was looked forward to and even enjoyed by the new mothers? In this week’s documentary from History Calling we look at the history of churching.
The video will cover churching’s basis in scripture, its links to Judaism, Catholicism and Protestantism, why churching was performed, how churching was done, and how it changed over the years, plus the practice of making an offering to the church upon the occasion (generally the baby’s chrisom cloth, or else cash), why women wearing a veil was a contentious issue and whether churching was a punishment for sin (based on the idea that women were impure after giving birth), or a celebration of a woman’s survival of childbirth. I’ll also tell you how churchings were different for mothers of illegitimate children, how the Puritans reacted to this ritual in 1640s England, what happened to women who died in childbirth without being churched and how popular churching remained even into the mid 20th century. You’ll learn too why unchurched women were called green women and why the month after their delivery was referred to as their husband’s gander month.
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
Was childbirth really that dangerous?
youtu.be/b-2fSXYU8uY
The woman who gave birth to rabbits
youtu.be/cNmjEpsFx88
Catherine Parr’s missing baby
youtu.be/o2m74maNYIM
What happened to Queen Anne’s children?
youtu.be/qUc0wmJGTgg
Was Anne Boleyn executed whilst pregnant?
youtu.be/4ByDYXiijaE
The Royal Baby Race
youtu.be/d0HalC2yooM
GET MORE:
Want to watch/hear/read more about history (and a whole host of other topics)? Then you might benefit from a free Audible or Prime video trial. They are available from the following links:
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
Blue Yeti Microphone: amzn.to/3FgEDYq
Go-Pro Hero 13 camera: amzn.to/41H4Xnt
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/3vaVxjU
Memory Card: amzn.to/3KeLZZs
DJI Drone: amzn.to/39hROZm
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Open Street Map copyright information
openstreetmap.org/copyright
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
#Churching #churchedwomen #HistoryOfChildbirth #ChildbirthInHistory
