The costume is shown in September in the calendar for 2022, 14 sheets, wall, with folk costumes "А Pirin Girl from the Razlog region".
👉 You can view the calendar here.
❤ Elitsa Parparunova from Razlog wore the costume.
❤ This costume is owned by a family from Razlog.
❤ We truly thank the Municipality of Razlog for the support in publishing this calendar!
👉 The „fustanela” was also worn as a festive summer costume, complemented by additional decorations and ornaments. It has developed as a lighter version of the „foustan”. The cut is as dress - fitted on the body buttoned up with buttons and sewn skirt on “plohi”. The decoration is made of edging and applying with velvet stripes on all edges, bosom and skirts. The lower part is widened and resembles a „harbala” to the skirt.
🔸 The fabric is woven from factory cotton yarn by the women , and the light base has a vertical stripe in a dark color. The canvas was „beleno” on the river for several days and several times a day it was put to dry in the sun to get the desired wavy look of the fabric. The “fustaneli” were most often white, but also yellow, orange, red for girls and brides, and for adults they are the opposite - dark with a light stripe. When working in the fields, the women took off their „fustaneli” and wore more worn „fustaneli” coats to keep them clean and beautiful by putting them on at home.
🔸 Underneath is a shirt (koshulya) with wide sleeves, embroidered with „zapeski”, characteristic for Razlog - flowers and short lace at the end.
🔸The „fustanela” of young women is girded with a "futen preskutnik" - in small red and green squares and a plant stripe in white on all sides. The ties are „lashnitsi”, decorated with small geometric ornaments, woven on a loom without a hill.
🔸 The head is covered with a white veil, called a "white edge", decorated with "aspri" at the end.
🔸 There are only earrings (mingushi) on the ears, which the little girls start wearing from an early age, after the ritual piercing of their ears on Blagovets (25.03).
🔸The legs are with knitted from fine wool socks, whose heels and toes are red and shod with comfortable leather shoes. The woman should always have an apotropaic (objects, red color or embroidery) to protect her from "unclean forces and thoughts", because left outside she is in danger. „Zapeski” - "crosses" are embroidered on the sleeves of the shirt.
👉 The costume shows the gentle Elitsa from Razlog. And you can learn more about her in this business card: "I am Elitsa. I grew up in the town of Razlog in a family of autochthon from Razlog. I was named after Elitsa from the movie" Time Apart " because my parents liked her very much and decided to bear her name. In addition, it is a typical Bulgarian name, which further motivates them to name me this way.
I study Bulgarian philology at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". I like reading books and walking in the mountains. I am very interested in Bulgarian folklore. I travel a lot both in Bulgaria and abroad.
I grew up in a family that adores Bulgarian folklore and respects folk traditions. It was my parents who passed on the thrill of tradition to me. My first memory is my participation as a chaush in Starchevata, when I was about 4 years old, when my father was extremely excited to dress me. My father has been a part of Starchevata since he was very young, he knows a lot about folklore, and he is also a craftsman and leatherworker for the chaushes. In general, I am breastfed with the idea of folklore and the feeling of being lucky to be part of Bulgarian folklore is unique.
In my homeland, what I like the most is that the traditions are kept and people of all ages participate in them, even babies who are a few months old. All customs are of interest to the local population, which is a wonderful example for future generations.
I often dress in costume. The feeling of wearing a garment for so many years is like carrying the story inside you. Unique! I would wear a costume for any occasion, and in Razlog there are often occasions for that.
For me, Bulgaria is an amazing place that is worth a place in everyone's heart. "
👉 Photographer: Petar Petrov
👉 The photos for the calendar were taken within the project "Study of the specifics and richness of national costumes from the Razlog region in the light of cultural diversity" is realized with the financial support of the National Culture Fund under the program "Cultural Heritage".
