People
Clothing as a cultural identification
Clothing as a cultural identification
We visit the needlewoman Zita Mátéfi and her husband Csaba
A morning in January, hardly any snow, but the fields are frozen. By car, we drive out of Székelykeresztúr and to the next village: "Alsóboldogfalva".
Behind the garden gate of the Mátéfi family a dog greets us loudly barking, then we enter the side door to the sewing area. It is a small room: Fabrics are piled up on the table, the finished clothes hang on the wall. It is quiet in here, the sewing machines are at rest, only the fire in the oven can be heard.
But Zita Mátéfi has a lot to tell. Because the local folk-dance group did not have traditional costumes available at the beginning, she started to make them herself. Since 2003 she has been sewing for money and has since then constantly expanded her pool of clothes. The reason is the different motives one can find in the Szeklerland. The appearance of the costumes varies from region to region: In Székelykeresztúr, for example, the dresses look different than in Siklod 30 kilometers further on. If she wants to offer clothes for sale or rent for a larger area, her sewing work gets very variable.
We soon realize how much this work is part of the culture here - a deeply rooted tradition with a long history.
Apart from the symbols by which the origin of the wearer can be identified, the colour also plays a role: light-coloured clothes are reserved for girls, the fabrics become darker with age. Long ago, even brides wore black to symbolize the sadness of their youth.
But while traditional costumes used to be part of everyday life, nowadays they are usually only worn on special occasions: For weddings and baptisms, church festivals, performances or competitions. And: for dancing!
Csaba Mátéfi comes in, a fresh woodblock for the oven in his hand. Like his wife, he is engaged as a teacher in the folk dance group. They organise dance camps at home and abroad. "We want to preserve the Transylvanian folk dance, our cultural heritage", he says.
While the fire flares up again, Csaba explains the slow disappearance of the customs. In the Second World War, he says, there was a lice plague, and clothes were burned in huge heaps. After that, the tradition was at first able to survive during communism. "The borders were closed, the West did not influence Transylvania, the culture could live on in the old form." Today all this gets lost through globalisation. People move away from home, to the cities and abroad. The fabric that Zita uses for sewing is only made by a 70-year-old woman in the neighbourhood on an old loom. "She's willing to pass her knowledge on to anyone, but no one weaves anymore, the historical professions have disappeared.“
But aren't open borders and a better infrastructure the better lot?
If he had to decide, the living tradition, but very simple conditions as in the past or the world today?
He laughs at me - there is no question.
If this story sparked your interest towards finding out more about Rural Transylvania and possible ways to experience it, you are welcome to contact us.
· Youth Association from Transylvania at office.ata@gmail.com
· Farmers Association from the Cristuru Secuiesc Area at office.aacs@gmail.com
