Post #5906

🥳Today we celebrate: • Международный День Варежек! International Mittens Day! • Варежка (варежки) (femin.noun) [va-rish-ka (va-rish-ki)] 🇷🇺Russian Mittens: More Than Just Warmth: In Russian, these essential winter items have a wealth of names: варежки, вареги, варьги, варяшки, вачаги, дельницы, мохнашки, рукавки, связни. 🇷🇺A Brief History: Mittens have been known in Russia since the 13th century and were a mandatory part of peasant clothing. Nobility didn't wear them because their long sleeves (which hid hands from the cold) made the saying работать спустя рукава (to work carelessly, literally with sleeves down) possible – such sleeves were impractical for labor. 🇷🇺Men's vs. Women's: They were distinctly gendered. Women's mittens were brighter, more miniature, and decorative. Men's mittens were simpler, knitted without a cuff for easy removal during work. 🇷🇺Symbols & Magic: The patterns on mittens are as significant as all ornaments in Russian folk clothing. Stylized birds, flowers, diamonds, triangles, hooks, and stripes in pleasing combinations weren't just art; they were protective charms. These symbols, passed from mother to daughter, were believed to guard the wearer from evil spirits and aid in new endeavors. 🇷🇺A Wedding Tradition: There was a custom: before a wedding, a bride had to demonstrate her skill. She gifted the groom's family with patterned stockings and mittens, with different embroidered ornaments on each item. 🔻A Soviet cartoon Варежка (1967) #holidays #russian_culture #Russian_crafts #films 🟠RCR | Support | Boost