Folk Costumes Around the Globe

Title: Folk Costumes Around The Globe Project

Country: Belarus

Languages: English, Belarussian

Student Age Level: 13-14

Grade: 7-8

Number of students involved: 15

Teacher’s Names: Tatiana Kruck, Halina Urbanovich, Olga Fedukovich, Helen Paniznik

Name of School: School#3, Miory,Vitebsk Region,Belarus

E-mail: urb.gala@mail.ru , tanya-eng@mail.ru

             bloghalina.blogspot.com

Hi to everybody! We are the students of the 7^th  grade from school №3, Miory, Vitebsk Region, Belarus. There are 10 of us and we are eager to take part in the Folk Costumes Around The Globe Project. We are going to describe an interesting and very colorful traditional our school which is called “Kalyada”.It is an ancient national tradition which dates back to medieval times and is thoroughly kept by the Belarusian people. According to this tradition, a group of people in national costumes, especially in small towns and villages, go from house to house asking for food or money singing folk songs and dancing soon after Christmas. People do it just for fun, but not because of being hungry or short of money. The Kalyada consists of “a goat”, ”a bear”, a man with a basket or a sack for food or money, a man carrying a Christmas star, a man playing an instrument and some singers. There is always a lot of laughter and happy smiles on people’s faces when they meet “Kalyada”.Everybody is having a good time and enjoying themselves while dancing and singing folk songs.So,”Kalyada” has also become a tradition at our school. It has been kept for nearly 30 years with our teachers and schoolchildren. They are prep airing for it beforehand: learn poems and national songs, put on national costumes with great pleasure. Junior and senior students are looking forward to meeting “Kalyuda”.Will you look through some pictures and watch some video films where our students are taking part in Kalyada” wearing national costumes and dancing folk dances. Enjoy yourselves.

The Description of The Belarusian National Costumes.

The Belarusian national costumes consist of a blouse and a skirt for a women and a shirt and troursers for men. The colors of national costumes are white and red. The white color symbolizes freedom,moral purity and wisdom of the Belarusian people. The red color is a sign of the Sun.It symbolizes brotherhood,victory and a happy life. The blouses and shirts are decorated with special ornaments of red color. Ornaments symbolize industrious people.Besides,these ornaments are the messages from our ancesters.Rhoms are the ancient signs of the goddess of the Earth and fertility.Rhoms are surrounded with signs which symbolize asking for a good harvest,good luck and fulfillment of good wishes. Small rhombs symbolize bread and food not only for our body but also ‘food’ for our souls.On their heads Belorusiab people wear hats for men often made of golden straw and a wreath for women made of cornflowers and chamomiles which grow in the fields of rye..The Belarusians wear their national costumes when they celebrate national holidays and on special  occasions.