The Universal Day of the Traditional Embroidered Romanian Blouse is celebrated on June 24 to promote the authentic beauty of the traditional Romanian shirt. The National Library said that the Romanian blouse appeared out of necessity and practical sense and acquired an artistic and sentimental value from the moment the woman created it and endowed it with her own beliefs, aesthetic sense and feelings, IPN reports.
The embroidered blouse is a traditional Romanian holiday shirt made of white cloth, cotton, linen or silk and adorned with beads and embroidery on the sleeves and neck. The cut is relatively simple: a rectangle of cloth, cut round around the neck and reinforced with twisted cord. The sleeves are, most of the times, wrinkled both at the shoulders and at the wrists. The blouse is increasingly imposing itself in the European and world consciousness, as a traditional Romanian clothing format of unique and original beauty. The most beautiful piece of clothing of the traditional Romanian costume, initially made of linen or hemp cloth, and later of cotton or silk, has attracted the attention of artists over time, noted the National Library.
The beauty and originality of the blouse was the basis of many Romanian folk creations. The national costume is not just a traditional garment, but is a true mark of Romanianism that will last over time. Meticulously woven by folk craftspeople, the blouse bears the imprint of various Romanian regions.
During June-September, the exhibition space of the National Library will host a thematic exhibition entitled “Folk Costume – balance between skill and artistic creativity”, which includes about 50 publications from the collections of the library and denote the symbolism and chromatic metaphor of the folk costume, the elements of the blouse with embroidery and the skirt, specific to the geographical areas, and albums with traditional costume models.
In 2022, during the 17th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, it was decided to inscribe the element “The art of the traditional blouse with embroidery on the shoulder – an element of cultural identity in Romania and the Republic of Moldova” on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
