Ukrainian embroidered towel – sacred relic for our people

For a long time our grannies and great- grannies embroidered Ukrainian towels. This process was crowned by special mystery because our ancestors never started to embroidery with bad mood or ill. They got on thread own love, positive emotions, bright thoughts, charging fabric on good servicing for people. Embroidered towels very often were called family’s protection and hanged out them above the icons. It was integral part on different holidays and promenades, with embroidered towel always met relatives and hosts.

Kinds of Ukrainian towels

The most extended and the most popular are wedding towels. They are embroidered by specific technology, however every has own meaning and symbols:

1. The main towel. Bride and bridegroom stand on it.
2. Iconic. It was framed icons for blessing just married couple.
3. Union. By this towel tied bride and bridegroom’s hands.
4. Hospitable. With it parents meet own after registration.

Embroidered towel had been crowed before by different symbols – octagonal star as symbol of sun , buds of flowers as symbol prolongation of generation, guelder rose , and grapes which szmbolized beaty and prosperity. Nowadays we can see very often embroidered incription for luck, for fate which means wishes for just married couple happy, married life.

Towels were embroidered for:

• Epiphany (without any black stiches).
• Towels were decorated by cross, flowers and birds).
• For long-distance way (mother embroidered for son, who was leaving native home).
• Building ( after finishing building it was presented by master).
• For bread (there was always bread on it).
• For long-awaited hosts (put on it salt and bread for it).
• For death (on these towel coffin came down to grave).

In the past times towels were in every house , they respected and preserved as the most valuable thing at home. The child was taught from childhood to respect towels, girls observed very often how mothers and grannies took up needle-work for long evenings.

Regions of ukrainians embroidered towels

Every region had own pallet of colours. It depended om modes, condions of life and traditions. Pallet of colours also depended on age- young girls embroidered by red threads and older women by blue.

Conditions for embroidering had to inspire women, for that reason they took up needle-work in private and on the quiet that nobody didn’t disturb them . Before work they calmed down, prayed and plunged into bright thoughts charging future towel by positive mood. It should be supposed that woman who would embroider towel with good thoughts, it will bring luck and happpines for owner More towels girls had , thez were supposed bettter housewives. These girls had a lot of suitors.

You can buy at present time embroidered towels on special markets sites and also offer to experienced needle women. For that it’s necessary to inform needle-woman with which purpose do you need towel so she will make it qualitatively and correctly with following all customs and rules. Correctness of doing this work is so important so it’s categorically forbidden to embroider at random.

You should remember that Ukrainian embroidered towel – it’s relic for our people so it’s necessary preserve with love and respect.