HUNGARIANS OF TRANSYLVANIA
By Nikolin Svetlana
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The beautiful, historical region of Transylvania in central Romania is the home to almost 1,228,000 Hungarians, one of the biggest ethnic minority in Europe.
The area of Călăței (or Kalotaszeg in Hungarian) in Transylvania is one of the centres of this community. It is the area where centuries old traditions and folk art are still very much alive and it is just one part of fascinating mosaic of traditional heritage of Romania.
People from this area are well known for stunning folk costumes, elaborately colourful embroidery and uniqueness of costume designs. Hungarian women’s traditional attire usually consists of a blouse, several under skirts covered by a pleated skirt and apron and an embroidered waistcoat. During winter they wear wool jacket and large headscarf.
There are also special accessories like belt, shoes- usually red boots, a handkerchief, particular jewellery and attractive very richly decorated crown made of pearls which only young women wear.
Very noticeable are the blouses of older women, embroidered in contrasting colours of orange or black with balloon – like sleeves. Important part of women folk attires is their apron, always richly decorated with embroidery and displayed over a multitude of skirts worn simultaneously.
Such alluring aprons play an important role for every young woman after the wedding ceremony when the bride would with special care store the apron so that if a child-to-be fell ill she could wrap it in the apron according to a custom that believes it would help to fasten recovery.
The men’s dress is as stunning as the women’s. Men have impressive highly embroidered mantles – the influence which can be traced to Persian invasion some 2,000 years ago.
Such huge mantles men use for protection from the sun or snow and wind and shepherds use them as blankets during the cold mountains nights.
Nowadays such lavishly made traditional attires Hungarians from towns and cities in this region wear only on some important occasions but they often can be seen in rural villages in this area in everyday life.
pictures: Google
Nikolin Svetlana
politicologist /journalist
journalist/ editor in chief monthly news paper ‘Trgoprodukt’ (1982-1990)
freelance journalist from1990
editor in chief – non profit
intercultural magazin „XXI Century” (2006-2016)
independent researcher on intercultural dialogue, minorities and small ethnic communities of the Balkans (Banat Bulgarians, Aromanians)
specialised ”XXI Century” magazine editions:
”Palchens in Banat”
”Aromanians of Pancevo city”
books:
Aegeo (Egej) travel book
‘Small anthology of Aromanian poetry’
‘ Aromanian old songs’
‘Aromanians in south Banat’/project book)
‘The nomads of the Balkans’ -(translation project book)
coordinator in NGO”In Medias Res” department for small ethnic communities and intercultural dialogue ( from 2006 to 2016)
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