HoubyDaysBooklet 2025 digital - Flipbook - Page 25
KROJE
Kroje (pronounced kroy-yeh, singular is kroj) is the general
term describing the folk costumes of the Czech and Slovak
Republics worn by both men and women. They are different in
almost every village and region. They are traditionally hand
made and are works of art and love. It is easy to identify a region by the colors, embroidery patterns, cut of the design and
details. Even very small villages of 100 people often have details that are specific to that village. Once they are made, they
will be handed down in a family or remade to fit a growing
child.
These are still made today and worn for festivals and special
occasions in Czechia and Slovakia. On Easter Sunday it is not
unusual to see older women coming in from the villages to the
cathedrals for Sunday mass dressed in their kroj. Dance groups,
traditional bands and singing groups are often dressed in some
form of Kroj. When immigrants came to America, they often
brought along their kroj. As time passed and they became worn,
new kroj were needed and what is called an American Kroj appeared. These would include bits of traditional kroj with American lace or trim.
If you want to make your own Kroj, start with a little research.
Find out about the region that your ancestors came from. Then
build your kroj using that information.
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