Folk clothing is still a part of Hungarian everyday life

Like Poetry Day and Folk Dance Day, Hungarian state celebrates the Day of Folk Clothing in the month of April in the spirit of honouring the wisdom stitched in seams of traditional clothing.

The initiative started seven years ago, with the aim to mobilise people towards the musings of cultural diversity manifested in folk costumes and to transform some of the elements and accessories for general, everyday use. As the celebration this year was obstructed by the quarantine times, the organisers experience it hard to captivate the fervour of such an deeply rooted custom virtually, only for a few hundred people could join for lack of digital enablement.

The creator opines that people participating in the Day of Folk Clothing is in the vanguard of safeguarding cultural heritage because the last members of the last standing generation will not live for long, and they still wear folk clothing as part of their everyday life. Fests like this tempt people to learn about legacy linked with folk costumes and even give them the opportunity to practice the crafts personally.

Though it is difficult to procure the authentic raw materials for skirts, aprons, and headscarves,  many women in rural regions manage to get it in order  to sew and take care of such clothes, be it stiffening, skirt creasing, or different sorts of embroidery.

In the past The ‘patriotic’ culture war waged by many ruling governments has led to closure of one of Hungary’s leading arts academies. Hence apart from everyday clothing, the artisans also have incredibly valuable ancient knowledge which shall be pass on to future generations.

Cover image by Wikimedia