TRADITIONAL BULGARIAN COSTUMES TRADITIONS, CRAFTS

TRADITIONS, CRAFTS
AND ETHNOGRAPHY
multimedia
www.bulgariatravel.org
TRADITIONAL
BULGARIAN COSTUMES
Operative Program “Regional Development 2007-2013
www.bgregio.eu
We invest in your future!
The project is financed by the European Regional Development Fund
and the state budget of Republic of Bulgaria
Grant Scheme BG161PO001/3.3-01/2008 “Support for Effective National Marketing of Tourist Product
and Improvement of Information Service”, Contract No BG161PO001/3.3-01/2008 /001-5 “Multimedia Catalogue of the Tourist Sites and Electronic Marketing of
Destination Bulgaria”
This multimedia brochure is created within the framework of the project “Multimedia Catalogue of the Tourist Sites and Electronic Marketing of Destination Bulgaria”,
Contract No BG161PO001/3.3-01/2008/001-5, which is performed with the financial support of Operative Program “Regional Development” 2007 – 2013,
co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund. The entire responsibility for the contents of this multimedia brochure
is brought by the beneficiary – The Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism, and under no circumstances it can be considered that this multimedia brochure presents
the official position of the European Union and the Managing Body.
www.bulgariatravel.org
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TRADITIONS, CRAFTS
AND ETHNOGRAPHY
BULGARIAN COSTUMES
T
he traditional Bulgarian
A specific code is weaved into the
costume is one of the
ornamentation of the Bulgarian
most typical elements
costumes - in the past the Bulgarians
of the Bulgarian folk culture. It
used to rely on it for information about
is the traditional clothing which
the family of those, who wore them,
has a specific meaning in both
and the areas of the country, where they
everyday and festival activities
lived. Each costume had its message.
of the Bulgarians. Each region
of Bulgaria has its own costume
The Bulgarian costume contains
with unique, typical motifs.
many elements and motifs from the
pagan beliefs and legends. No one
Costumes are divided into
wore clothes with fully symmetrical
male and female. Female
decorations, because Bulgarians
costumes are more colorful
believed that full symmetry was a
and interesting than male
diabolical creation. Therefore, elements
costumes; however the
were often added and removed, so
male costumes also attract
that no symmetry should exist. Those
interest with their typical
were intentional mistakes in order to
elements.
prevent the evil eye.
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TRADITIONS, CRAFTS
AND ETHNOGRAPHY
BULGARIAN COSTUMES
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Bulgarian women make their
body from evil spells and spirits.
costumes all by themselves. As early
People believed that cutting a part
as the age of five, little girls were
of the embroidery of one’s garment
starting learning to spin wheels,
would blaze a trail for the evil spirits
sew, weave, prepare the trousseau
and make the person vulnerable.
for their weddings, and from
Bulgarian women were allowed to
their twelfth year to the wedding,
embroider only until their wedding
they were learned to embroider
day - after that they were having
- this was the highest skill of all
the right to do it again only when
domestic crafts. Embroidery used
their own daughters become 12
to have great symbolic value. It
years and they need to learn how
was believed to protect the human
to do it.
TRADITIONS, CRAFTS
AND ETHNOGRAPHY
BULGARIAN COSTUMES
Commonly, female costumes are
divided into: two-apron, tunics,
Sayan and one-apron clothes.
The male costumes are divided
into white-cloth and black cloth
costumes.
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The two-apron female costume
be seen in the Regional History
is widespread in Northern
Museum in Pleven. The male
Bulgaria. It consists of a shirt,
costumes in Pleven area are of
two aprons (front and back)
the white-cloth type and consist
and a belt. A wide variety of this
of a belt, a tunic-like shirt, pants
type of national costumes can
and outer garments.
TRADITIONS, CRAFTS
AND ETHNOGRAPHY
BULGARIAN COSTUMES
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TRADITIONS, CRAFTS
AND ETHNOGRAPHY
BULGARIAN COSTUMES
Most of the decoration of
southwestern Bulgaria.
the Sayan clothing is at the
The tunic is typical for
neckline and the sleeves. The
southeastern Thrace. It consists
costume consists of colorful
of shirt, tunic, apron and belt;
Saya (overcoat), jacket, skirt and
the typical decoration is most
belt. The Saya costume used to
noticeable at the foot of the
be widespread in southern and
dress and the neckline.
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TRADITIONS, CRAFTS
AND ETHNOGRAPHY
BULGARIAN COSTUMES
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The one–apron costume can
be seen mostly in the Rhodope
area. It consists of a shirt and
an apron. The black-cloth male
costume, which is typical for
the Middle Rhodope Mountain
region, consists of a tunic-like
shirt, wool trousers in a dark
color, outerwear and a cap.
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TRADITIONS, CRAFTS
AND ETHNOGRAPHY
BULGARIAN COSTUMES
A rich collection of costumes,
each urban museum in the
typical for the Middle Rhodope
country has an ethnographic
region, can be seen in the
collection, which represents the
Regional History Museum in
typical costumes of the region.
Smolyan. More information on
Extremely rich collections from
costumes in various regions and
all over the country are stored
the symbolic meaning of the
in the National Ethnographic
elements and the decorations
Museum at the Bulgarian
on them can be obtained in the
Academy of Science and the
Bulgarian museums. Almost
National History Museum.
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TRADITIONS, CRAFTS
AND ETHNOGRAPHY
BULGARIAN COSTUMES
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Operative Program “Regional Development 2007-2013
www.bgregio.eu
We invest in your future!
The project is financed by the European Regional Development Fund
and the state budget of Republic of Bulgaria
Grant Scheme BG161PO001/3.3-01/2008 “Support for Effective National Marketing of Tourist Product
and Improvement of Information Service”, Contract No BG161PO001/3.3-01/2008 /001-5 “Multimedia Catalogue of the Tourist Sites and Electronic Marketing of
Destination Bulgaria”
This multimedia brochure is created within the framework of the project “Multimedia Catalogue of the Tourist Sites and Electronic Marketing of Destination Bulgaria”,
Contract No BG161PO001/3.3-01/2008/001-5, which is performed with the financial support of Operative Program “Regional Development” 2007 – 2013,
co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund. The entire responsibility for the contents of this multimedia brochure
is brought by the beneficiary – The Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism, and under no circumstances it can be considered that this multimedia brochure presents
the official position of the European Union and the Managing Body.