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| A traditional Romanian blouse ("Ie românească") |
This
type of blouse it is entirely hand-made, from a special fabric (called approx. in English "sheer
lawn"), with exquisite embroideries on the chest, back and
sleeves, with designs preserved for centuries. The signs and symbols
embroidered on each traditional Romanian blouse aren’t just random decorations,
but each has its own significance, depending on the region, the seamstress, and
the person who wore it. For example, among the symbols embellished on each blouse
there could be a tree or a tree-like design, which is the symbol of life,
wisdom and rebirth. The fir tree is particularly drawn on the Romanian
blouse, especially in the mountain rural areas, and symbolizes the immortality,
a motif seldom found in Romanian mythology.
The circle or a sunflower represent the sun, day or Divinity; in Romanian tradition, the sun was at the core of life and often associated with abundance.
Other motifs related to daily activities can be found ranging from one region to another: water (either as a river or as sea waves) and fish in the fishing villages along the rivers and sea coast, wheat or corn stems in agricultural villages, wheels or coin in crafting traders’ villages, and so on. At the same time, the colors on the blouse also vary according to the geographic region; green and gold symbolize the plains, gray, red and brown for the mountains and blue for the rivers.
The circle or a sunflower represent the sun, day or Divinity; in Romanian tradition, the sun was at the core of life and often associated with abundance.
Other motifs related to daily activities can be found ranging from one region to another: water (either as a river or as sea waves) and fish in the fishing villages along the rivers and sea coast, wheat or corn stems in agricultural villages, wheels or coin in crafting traders’ villages, and so on. At the same time, the colors on the blouse also vary according to the geographic region; green and gold symbolize the plains, gray, red and brown for the mountains and blue for the rivers.
For
instance, in the past, young girls from the countryside, who were not married
used to wear merry colors on their blouses, combinations of red, yellow, pink
& light colors, while the dark ones (brown, black, dark green) & gold were usually worn by
older women, married and / or having a certain social statute.
Generally
speaking, this traditional Romanian blouse ("ie"
– pronounced "ee-eh") is
a pretty simple blouse, commonly worn by Romanian girls and women, but has
overcome its historic peasant confines, and it became an important source of
inspiration for many fashion designers (ranging from less known to very well known) in Romania and abroad (for instance, high-ranking names, such as Tom Ford based
his 2012 collection on the Romanian traditional motifs).
On
December 1, 2022, (on Romania’s
National Day), UNESCO has decided to inscribe
the Romanian traditional blouse on their list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and on the same list, in 2017, “Mărțișor” was added.
the Romanian traditional blouse on their list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and on the same list, in 2017, “Mărțișor” was added.
Since
2013, on each June 24, Romanians around the world celebrate The
Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse, occasion which allows them to
bring forward the richness of their cultural heritage, their traditional
customs, and the timeless wisdom of their ancestors as well as their Romanian
beautiful identity outfit – “ia”.
This type of celebration it is a good opportunity for all Romanians around the world to further promote this old and beautiful Romanian cultural artifact.
This type of celebration it is a good opportunity for all Romanians around the world to further promote this old and beautiful Romanian cultural artifact.
The tradition is alive, and the story goes on....
Symbols represented on the Romanian traditional blouses
The Romanian blouse, known as "ie," is adorned with a variety of symbols and motifs that hold a deep cultural significance. These symbols are often linked to the region of Romania where the blouse originates from and they can represent various aspects of life, such as age, marital status and social standing.
For your convenience, here are:
1)
Few EVENTS I personally organized at my Circle, featuring the traditional Romanian blouse – 2023, 2022, 2021
2) The 1st event organized in partnership with few other groups from Vancouver, featuring the Romanian blouse – 2024
3) Few promotional GREETING cards I’ve put together featuring the Romanian blouse – 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020
