Interesting things

Cloth bleaching

Cloth was bleached in nice warm sunny weather. Women or sometimes girls, gathered around a well, a spring or by a river, and did the work, chatting with one another. When the time was right, bleachers could be seen gathering from all directions, carrying cloth on their shoulders.

 The bleaching was done in the following way: first, hot water and ash were spilt over the cloth, which was then taken to a stream or river and thrown into the water and spread out so that the water rinsed it, Then, it was picked up and spread out on the grass of clean ground or left to dry on the fence or a rod, without draining. The immersion and drying was repeated three to five days in a row , and then, once again, hot water and ash were spilt over the cloth. Over the next seven to eight days it was immersed and dried in the sun again and again. In some places, the cloth was placed in a simple hollow cylinder called stublina, which was entrenched in the ground and filled with a layer of ash and a layer of oat straw. The cloth was placed on the straw and covered with another layer of straw and another layer of ash and finally, hot water was split over all this. This was done in order to keep the cloth wet and warm, which, at first made the cloth yellow and, later, helped the whitening 

process.

Dyeing wool

The black colour known as vranilo or mrčilo was made by cooking ashtree leaves with blacksmith cinder. If they needed the yarn for embroidery, people used to wool of black sheep.

The red colour was made of the plant called madder (broć). The root of the plant was dug up in spring and dried during the summer. People sometimes bought madder, ground it in the mortar, and then sifted the powder and diluted it in water. Previously they immersed yarn in alum and left it in it for a week. When they took it out, they immersed it in madder, in a clay container. If the colour was not intensive enough the yarn was dried and immersed in madder once again.

The blue colour was made of indigo which could be bought in towns. It was done in the following way: indigo was diluted in the so-called šjera (the water used for the very first washing of wool, which was foamy and contained some acids). After that, yarn was immersed in this solution.

The yellow colour was made of the plant called balučka (colchicum auctumnaia) or hazel leaves. Only young plants of balučka were used. The colour was also made by cooking wild apples.

The green colour was made by mixing the yellow and blue colour. The yarn was first dyed yellow and, after that, immersed in indigo.

Raw leather opanaks

The traditional names of this kind of footwear are: prijesni, presni, prešnjaci, sirovari, šivci, hrtice etc,  depending on the region. They were made of pigskin, calfskin, cowskin, lambskin, and buffalo skin. The fur was usually not removed from the skin. Depending in the region, there are two basic types and several versions of each. In both types, the foot is covered with a piece of raw leather of appropriate shape and size. Along the borders, there were holes and laces (vrnčice) were put through them in orther to crease the skin. Laces were made of thin strips of leather, thick cotton thread, woven goat hair or hemp. It was a kind of low footwear, straight or arched in shape, consisting of the sole, front, horn-like endings and different kinds of laces. According to the type of laces there were two basic  types: vrnčani opanci and prešnjaci. There were several versions of the latter type, depending on the shape of the endings. Leather was cut according to the shape and size od the foot. It covered the whole foot and in some types , part of the leg as well. Prešnjaci were worn in the areas of Zaječar, Niš, Vranje, Kruševac, Studenica and Leskovac and vrnčanih in Raška, Stari Vlah, Kosovo and Metohija.

Prešnjaci were affordable, cheap, suitable for walking in mountainous regions, but, on the other hand, they were not durable, economical or waterproof. The shape was the same, regardless of age and gender. They were worn over one, two or three different pairs of socks, depending on the season and weather. The second and the third type of socks were called priglavci and nazuvice. In the Panonian Region and the northerh parts of Eastern Serbia obojci (rectangular pieces of woven woollen cloth wrapped around the feet) and kalčine (stuff socks) were also worn. The word obojak was also the name of a piece of cloth put into an opanak as padding, worn in Šumadija, Vranjsko Pomoravlje and Eastern Serbia.

Bosilegrad

Bosilegradsko krajište

Border municipality Bosilegrad is located in the extreme southeastern part of the Republic of Serbia, in the Pčinja District, next to the Bulgarian - Macedonian border. In the north it borders with the municipality of Surdulica, in the west with the municipality of Vranje, in the southwest with the municipality of Trgovište, in the South of the Republic of Macedonia to the east and southeast with the Republic of Bulgaria.

Around the world famous music, songs, dance and costumes characteristic for this region. It represents the essence of the joy of locals and visitors. Four seasons, which rotate to the rhythm of the sun and snow emphasize the beauty of the municipality of Bosilegrad to be seen at every step.

In this region džube (long sleeveless garment) made of white fabric was worn over the saja. The sajas were hand-made by women, usually of rough black cloth. The ones worn in summer were usually white and sometimes green.They were bordered  with thin silver threads and silk. The sleeves were short and narrow. They almost reached the elbows. The neck was decorated with rich embroidery. Over the saja, women wore a blue and red skutača (apron) with horizontal and vertical stripes. The head was covered with a tulben (turban), or a long white headscarf, hanging down the back, sometimes pong enough to reach the knees.

Zabratka - In the easternmost part of Serbia women covered their heads with a zabratka (white scarf) or, later, with a multi-coloured headscarf (šamija) which was tied above its tip, at the back of the head, so that the tip of the scarf and hair plaited into thin braids hung down the back. Zabratka is believed to have been part of a more elaborate female headdress. It was worn in the regions of Niš, Vranje, Pirot and Krajina.

Litak - traditional black woollen overgarment woven and docorated by women and girls. Women adorned it with golden, and girls with silver threads and glitter.

National ensemble KOLO - Bosilegrad

South - Eastern Serbia

South - Eastern Serbia

Southeastern Serbia represents a geographic space southern from the river Nišava, eastern from the river Južna Morava, towards the border with Bulgaria and Macedonia. It contains the municipalities of Surdulica, Babušnica, Vlasotince, Crna Trava, Bosilegrad, Trgovište, Vladičin Han, which, according to the last cansus, represented 3,0 % of the total number of population. According to the gross income, these municipalities belong to the poorest Serbia.

The current situation is such that process of migration of population from village to city chronically (constantly) continues, there are less and less villages which have any vitality, some of the villages, beside the fact that they are present on geographic maps, do not have a single inhabitant, the infrasructure is very bad, economy is generally also bad.

There are natural and anthropogenic geographic elements which also have a good basis to become the Serbia's tourist offers as natural geographic tourist values and cultural inheritance. The forms of tourism which could contribute revitalization of the space are: eco, rural, transit, sport-recreational and holiday weekend tourism. Natural and anthropogenic localities of South-eastern Serbia belong to the realms of turist region of Vlasina and Krajište. And as natural tourist values we can mention: Grdelička gorge, mountains Čemernik, Kukavica, Besna Kobila, Vardenik, Vlasina and Kozjak.

Folk cotumes of the Central Balkan Region

Could be found in central, eastern and southern parts of Serbia, Kosovo and Metohija and Raška. Throughout that wide region, folk costumes were characterized by a blend of farmers' and cattlebreeders' garments and a combination of eastern and western cultural influences. Here, we can notice not only traces of Old Slavic, Balkan and ancient cultures, but also Byzantine and Serbian medieval elements, as well as Turkish - Oriental and, later, West European cultural layers.

Up to the first decades of the 20th century, some common characteristics of clothing were presents: almost the same home-made materials like: hemp, linen and cotton cloth, white and, later, brown stuff, wollen and cotton fabrics, often with stripes woven in and small geometrical ornaments, as well as raw and tanned leather. Among various  male and especially female costumes typical of this area, there are some which were present in the wider Balkan region (although they had some special features), and some which could be found only in this Serb-populated area. For example, some parts of the female costume: the hairpiece (trvelji), a widespread open skirt ( zaprega, bojče, futa, vutara), as well as the uncut dress of Old Slavic origin (sukno).

In all parts of The Central Balkan Region both male and female costume included a linnen shirt in the shape of a straight cut tunic with sleeves, which was used both as an undergarment and overgarment. Its width was usually average with one or two wedge-shaped expansions at the sides, expect in the areas of Raška, Kosovo and Metohija where it developed into a wide, bell-shaped garment with several, or, in bridal clothes, as many as twenty wedges.

Kosovska Mitrovica - Vučitrn

Kosovska mitrovica - Vučitrn

The shirt was made of hemp, linen or cotton cloth. It consisted of the front part and the back part (stan) with a chest opening and collar, single or double wedges on both sides which connected and expanded the stan and wide long sleeves fastened to it at the shoulders. As for the length they usually reached the shins and sometimes were even longer. The seams and the hem were embroidered with multi-coloured woollen yarn, silver thread, glitter or beads. the ornaments on the hem are called provozi. The sleeves were adorned with embroidered ornaments and cotton tasseles with beads. Depending on the ornaments the shirts had different names: tri šare (three ornaments), rogonja (horns), zmijanka (snakes), zlatnica (gold) and đurđevanka which was richly embroidered with a lot of glitter and was used as a wedding dress. Many garments had red and white cotton tasseles (bućke) adorned with glitter and breads or lace.

Gnjilane

Gnjilane

Serbian female costumes worn in this area consisted of: košulja (shirt), boča or bošča (short skirt), rep or nakit (back apron), pojas (sash), jelek (waistcoat), dolaktica (short-sleeved overgarment), kapa (hat), krpa (headscarf), perjanica (headdress), socks and opanci (opanaks-traditional footwear).The shirt was usually not embroidered (or scarcely embroidered) and it was covered with thin a front apron or a wraparound skirt called boča or bošča, woven with thin woollen yarn, dark in colour, scarcely ornamented. Women covered the back with a back apron called rep or nakit which was also woven with dark woollen yarn. It was 35 cm long and 40 cm across, bordered with long fringes made of finely woven twisted black woollen yarn.The fringes on the lower side were longer and they hung freely down the body and the ones on the upper side were longer and hung over the apron and the lower fringes. This rep was worn by both girls and women, young and old. They wore a short woollen sash adorned with buckles, silver coins and glass beads around their waist. Girls wore a hat (kapa) made of home-made stuff decorated with old coins threaded on strings which hung down their temples. The hat was fastened to  socalled krpa which consisted of two strips of black cloth, without any adornments, hanging down the shoulders. 

     

In some parts of Kosovsko Pomoravlje krpa was coloured, usually yellow or green. After the wedding, for some time, the bride wore a conical headdress (perjanica) made of stuff, decorated with old coins, a ribbon at the back and peacock's feathers at the front. The bridal apron was called cvetača. It was decorated with silver threads and lace with glitter sewn in. The most common design was the so-called rešetka (rack) which consisted of a stylized flower on the red surface in one field and floral and pear-shaped ornaments in the others.

 

National ensemble KOLO - Gnjilane

Prizren

Prizren

The craft of tailor was widespread and highly esteemed in Prizren. The craftsmen specialized in marking particular garments. Tailors who made stuff clothes were called abadžija , those who made overgarments (mintans) - mintandžije, legs for bloomers - nogavičari, braids - gajtandžije and, finally fur garments were made by ćurčije. There were two types of bloomers: the type with wide legs (pobogata) adorned with three or four rows of braids and the type with narrow legs (potanka, pomala) and only one row of braids. Costumes were ordered at home, under the supervision of an older member of the family. Measuring, choice of fabric and cut was done by journeymen who brought fabric samples.

Socks were a distinctive characteristic of women from Prizren. They were white, made of cotton or thin wool, with brightly coloured floral ornaments. People from Prizren used to say that their girls could be recognized by snow white socks.

Čelenka, the headdress of sophisticated filigree craftsmanship in the shape of an aspen, adorned with coins, was fastened to a semi-circular baize padded mount. It was decorated with a few strings of coins and a large ducat, called five in one in the middle. The ducat revealed the marital status: girls wore it uncovered and women half-covered. Čelenka was also adorned with strings of multi-coloured beads, coral, glitter or amber.

Next to the body, a chiffon skirt or a short batiste vest with shoulder straps was worn together with small bloomers made of thin white cotton fabric. One more pair of bloomers made of silk, taffeta or brocade was worn over them, so that Prizren grils looked even better and their wiggly walk became even more gracious.

National ensemble KOLO - Prizren

Kosovo i Metohija

Kosovo i Metohija

Kosovo and Metohija are situated in the southwestern part of Serbia, between the borders with Montenegro, Albania and Macedonia in the South West and the regions of Stara Vlaška, Kopaonik, and Southern Serbia in the North West, North and North East. In the central part of the Kosovo Valley is the region's capital, Priština which has been inhabited for a very long time. The oldest traces of habitations in the region date from the Stone Age. Ulpiana, near Gračanica, was one of the biggest and most beautiful towns of the Roman province of Upper Maesia. For some time, Priština was the capital of Serbia. Serbian kings Milutin and Stefan Dečanski as well as the famous noblemen Stefan Lazarević and Vuk Branković had their castles in this town. The Turks occupied it in the 15th century and remained there for the nekt five hundred years.
Montenegro, Albania and Macedonia in the South West, South and South East and the regions of

The name Metohija was derived from the Greek word metoh, meaning monastery estate. The river Beli Drim flows through tih valley with its tributaries the Pećka Bistrica, the Dečanska Bistrica, the Prisrenska Bistrica, the Loćanska Bistrica, and the Kožnjarska Bistrica, characterized by clean, cold water.

National ensemble KOLO - Metohija

Sredačka župa

If a girl was of marriageable age or engaged to get married she wore two plaits near her cheeks (vitice, komare) with a parting in the middle. The hair was done in the following way: first, a parting was made on the top of the head, then the parted tufts of hair were plaited in full length next to the face, and then folded half-length, with the ends overlapping.

Until the end of the 19th century upper items of the male costume were made exclusively of white home-made stuff called klašnja and they were decorated with black woolen braids. At the beginning of the 20th century klašnja was replaced with stuff which was natural brown in colour. The traditional costume worn up to the beginning of The Second World War consisted of: košulja (shirt), preklopnik (wraparound garment), džemadan (waistcoat), koporan (overcoat), čašire (trousers), pojas (sash), haljina (undergarment), šubara (lambskin fur hat), čarape (socks) and opanci-oputnjaci (traditional footwear). Over the shirt made of hemp of linen cloth people wore a wraparound stuff garment (preklopnik), and a stuff overcoat (koporan) cut in a similar way, with elbow-length sleeves. The overcoat was a bit longer, ending below the waist.

National ensemble KOLO - Sredačka župa

 Sirinićka župa

Brides (in this region called mlanesta) - wore the same clothes as other young women, expect for a few distinctive elements which had cultic meaning. The head was covered with a small cap (vrste) adorned with old silver coins, from the forehead to the back of the head. Venačnik or prevez was also par of the forehead to the bridal costume. It was a simple, trapezoid-shaped scarf made of home-crafted red cloth. Woven with two threads, known as vajkar platno . The red surface was embroidered with silver threads, tiny brightly coloured glass beads (manistri), small metal rings (kositrice), multi-coloured buttons (koskičke). Designs and ornaments were rich on the whole surface. The most common ornaments were: floral (flowers, leaves, vine) and geometrical (circle, diamond, triangle square, spirals). Crosses of different shapes and sizes were also present. Every girl made her own prevez during the courtship. They made a few pieces so that they could wear them both on working days and on holidays. On working days they wore the simple, scarcely ornamented (veto), along with everyday clothes. On special occasions wealthy women wore the richly adorned one. The cut of all scarves (prevez) in this area was the same and they could be distinguished by embroidery and designs. Brides wore them every day, during the first year of their marriage, and women only on holidays. The chin strap used to fasten the scarf was called remiče. It was adorned with tiny glass beads (manistri).

Male costume - Woollen sash, dark in colour, 8-10 metres long and 25 cm across. It was wrapped over the trousers in summer and, in winter, over the wraparound overcoat or some other overgarment. In winter, men wore a long sleeveless stuff overgarment (white or dark), open at the front. It was an overgarment similar to zubun which went out of use very early. Much more common was the wide overcoat called gunj or zban with wide sleeves and a hood (jakulja) which hung down the back, consisting of two parts which could be joined together above the forehead to form a capuche. 

Vranje i Vranjsko polje

Vranje

Girls in Vranje wear shirts and pantaloons. Shirt are made of white material with a lace around the neck and around the sleeves, which are very wide. Pantaloons are very wide and have a belt which goes around the waist and they are linked under knees. We also have lace on the pantaloons, which makes them look beautiful and richer.

Jelek is worn in every part of our country, but the cut is different and authentic in every part of our county.

Jelek refers in shape and material details which actually show as how rich groom’s family is.

Girls wear white ballet shoes, and boys wear just black shoes. In Vranje girls wear a lot of accessories. Necklace which goes around the neck, and accessories which goes around forehead which calls diadema.

 

           National ensemble KOLO - Vranje

Vranjsko polje

The main characteristic of this costume is the fact that women did not wear aprons but wraparound garments callled futa or vuta. This garment consisted of two pieces of cloth, which were woven very carefully, so that they could be joined together into a larger piece 3 to 4 metres across and 80 to 90 centimetres long. Women could have wrapped the futa around their bodies a few times, but they did it only once because the garment was creased by the waistband so that the two ends overlapped by only a few centimetres. The futa was usually wrapped around the body so that its end reached the right hip, although this wasn't a rule. This garment was probably created by gradual enlargement of the front apron (skutača). It was always striped. The stripes were usually dark: black, dark red, dark blue... They were woven using wool, hemp of dyed cotton (vajkar). Those worn by older women were longer than the ones worn by girls. Apart from this way of weaving, which was in itself a kind of decoration, the futa was adorned in other ways, too. It was often bordered with trimmings, chenille cords and even with manufactured lace, just like skirts worn in towns. Even satin was used. Later, the futa was decorated with spiral braids made of lace, with various designs. Village tailors called these spirals balađuz.

National enesemble KOLO - Vranjsko polje

Pčinja

Pčinja

Nakosnik- People who did not have thick, beautiful hair, which was highly appreciated, sometimes wore headpieces made of somebody else's hair, dyed wool or some other fibres. They also dyed their hair in order to make it look more beautiful. Nakosnik consisted of a large number of thin braids (over 70) of dead hair decorated with coins or beads. It was warn until the 1930-ies.

Women covered their heads with headscarves which were called šamija regardless of the colour, design or fabric (wool or cotton). In the 20th century, large, square-shaped manufactured scarves were worn. They were usually printed with designs like leaves or roses. This scarf worn by young girls and brides was called pervazlija.

Around the neck, girls wore a piece of jewellery called mreža (net). It was a futa, diamond shaped ornaments prevailed. Beads were threaded on horse hairs.
ribbon, 20 centimetres long and 2 centimetres across, with various geometrical ornaments, made of tiny multi-coloured beads.Just like on the

According to the type and shape of ornaments, there were three types of the futa: redara- the simple one with vertical stripes, kolarka- with diamond-shaped designs interwoven with stripes and pervazlija woven, with white cotton designs, worn by girls and young women.

Male costumes were characterized by brightly coloured socks. They usually reaches the knees and were made of red wool. Depending on the design there were a few types: kolarke with diamond-shaped ornaments, or resnato kolo if the diamond was serrated. Some other designs included: big and small flowers, axes, etc...

After the liberation from the Turkish rule, the fez disappeared and people started wearing the šajkača and šubara which was made of lambskin. During the period of Bulgarian occupation people were not allowed to wear the šajkača. They had to wear caps which looked like baseball hats. In order to avoid this, people from Pčinja started wearing knitted woollen hats similar to šubara.

Pafte - Another kind of adornments was called pafte (belt buckles). Different names were used in different regions: pafte, pavte, tapte, kopče, kanice, čampre, pahte. They were worn on woven sashes. They were usually made of metal (silver, copper, bronze, brass), and sometimes of silver threads, beads of pearls. The adornments were usually made of gemstones, zircon and mother-of-pearl. The buckles were characterized by a variety of shape, which did not depend on the region, so different shapes could be found in the same region. There were six basic types: almond-shaped, rounded, rectangular, Pirot pafte, pjevac pafte and Šibenik tapte.

National ensemble KOLO - Pčinja

South Serbia

South Serbia

Southern Serbia is situated in the basin of the Južna Morava. The relief consists of dome mountains and ravines which are present mostly in the composite valley of the Juzna Morava. The region is famous for a morphological rarity, the rock formation in the shape of pyramids called Đavolja Varoš. It is located near Kuršumlija and was formed by erosion of the loose soil. The most significant hydrographic objects are: the Južna Morava river with its tributary the Nišava and Vlasinsko jezero, one of the biggest artificial lakes in the country. Sotuhern Serbia is famous for the thermal springs. The spring Velika Česma in Vranjska Banja with the temperature of 92 degrees Celsius is the warmest natural spring in Serbia. Another characteristic of the region is prosperous economy. Agriculture is the traditional occupation in ravines, expecially in the Leskovac region which is famous for vegetable growing.

Niš is the second biggest industrial and transpor centre in Serbia and Leskovac is the centre of textile industry. Sotuhern Serbia is rich in ores. The hydro-energetic potential is exploited only in Vlasina. This territory has been inhabited since pre-Roman times. The most famous archeological sities are: Naisus (one of the four Roman imperial cities in Serbia and the birthplace of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great), neighbouring Mediana, Iustiniana Prima near Lebane, Caričin Grad, former Byzantine centre occupied by the Slavs in the 7th century.

South Serbia

Serbian traditional costumes

Clothing represents a very important cultural phenomenon closely related to society as a whole, particular social groups and individuals, a person's physical appearance as well as personality. Clothing is a part of cultural heritage which has witnessed many elements and spheres in the life of human society throughout history, since the first known civilizations up to the present moment. Apart from serving its main purpose to protect human body, it also represents part of the integrity and identity of each individual member of society. We know and recognize each other by our clothes, we use it to introduce ourselves to others. Clothing is a way to differ from the rest of the world, but, at the same time, be part of a world. Given all this, clothing plays a significant role in distinguishing between different social groups, primarly classes, but also strata within classes, professions, guilds, ranks and even individual and personal characteristics of different people within the same social groups.

Traditional clothes worn by the population in certain regions represent part of a broader picture of the region, reveal the basic industries, weather conditions and even reflect the welfare of the whole community and wealth of individuals and their families. In addition, the national costume bears the traces of significant historical events which shaped the past. Finally, the national costume in the reflection of skills, artistic ideas and creative potential of a nation which used this necessity of life as medium to speak from the bottom of its being and in that way expressed its aspiration for beauty.

The environment, cultural and historical influences and the creative spirit of a nation are three factors always present in traditional clothes and that is the reason why folk costumes represent one of the most complex achievements of folk art. But, the clothes that people created for centuries had not only a practical, utilitarian purpose with more or less artistic features, but also a deeper sense, irrational and magical, which was often more dominant than both practical and artistic components. The way people dressed within a closed village community was also defined by some long-standing traditional rules which had been obeyed for centuries and rarely abandoned.

Through these traditionally established rules, the folk costume assumes social significance, it becomes a sign of the social status of an obvious outward characteristic of this status, a sort of identification of each member of the community, especially the female members of this unique society.

Each phase in life, every event  and significant change, starting from childhood, maidenhood, engagement and marriage, young age after the wedding, motherhood, mature age and widowhood, all this could be reflected in the clothes worn on special occasions or holidays. In addition, we can also mention ritual costumes indispensable in certain rites and customs, which can show us the wide variety of types and subtypes in all kinds of folk heritage is an invaluable source of treasure, yet to be discovered , researched and estimated.

Introduction

Introduction

A nation's tradition is made up of culture and art, customs and beliefs, beauty and wisdom od living. Serbian folk tradition is an invaluable treasure yet to be discovered and researched and the beauty of our nation's spirit must never be forgotten. For centuries, our ancestors gathered experience through their work, struggle with themselves and the nature, and everlasting search for something new and the unknown. Throughout history, depending on the circumstances, the treasure changed: sometimes it was abundant, sometimes scarce. New times and generations, with their tendency to keep up with the modern world seem to repress our roots.

Folk Customs

Serbian folk customs, as a nation's heritage, were a picturesque expression off skilful time management and harmony between everyday life and work and the accompanying festivities. Agricultural work, cattle breeding, gatherings in villages, family gatherings around the fireplace, had, on a daily basis, strictly defined places, time, content and form, in accordance with natural elements and phenomena. Serbian communities all over the world, have preserved the full ethnographic vividness, abundance and magic of folk customs and holiday festivities up to the present moment.

Habitation and housing

Human habitation represents a very important aspect of material culture. By settling on one location, man tried to build an appropriate habitation and provide other living conditions necessary for the life of his family. Depending on the geographic and weather conditions as well as the economic factors, Serbian population in different areas lived in different types of houses. At the time, houses were roughly divided into village and town houses.

Depending on the region, each village household had the main house and some additional buildings like guest houses, barns, stables, dairies, bakeries and wooden cottages called vajati.