So...where do you fall in the beard holiness chart?

[dzheremi]

I feel like this is a trick question. Beards are not accepted for Coptic Orthodox laypeople (I'm told for cultural reasons related to their use as actual markers of holiness among the more extremist elements of the Muslim population, though I don't know how true that is), so if you have one people will assume you are a priest, bishop, monk, or Muslim. I've been teased by Coptic acquaintances when I went a few days without shaving, and I've even heard of people visiting from other churches that don't have this cultural hangup also being looked at funnily (like "What is this Muslim doing here at liturgy?"). It's strange.

So, nowhere.

 

[prodromos]

I feel like this is a trick question. Beards are not accepted for Coptic Orthodox laypeople (I'm told for cultural reasons related to their use as actual markers of holiness among the more extremist elements of the Muslim population, though I don't know how true that is), so if you have one people will assume you are a priest, bishop, monk, or Muslim. I've been teased by Coptic acquaintances when I went a few days without shaving, and I've even heard of people visiting from other churches that don't have this cultural hangup also being looked at funnily (like "What is this Muslim doing here at liturgy?"). It's strange.

So, nowhere.

When I was living in Greece, complete strangers would sometimes try and kiss my hand, assuming I was a priest. I would just be wearing jeans and a nice shirt, so I don't quite understand how people could make that mistake, since I never saw a priest in Greece, not wearing the rasso. My beard was only "a little holy" on the beard scale too.