Seven-year-old Rita proudly wears her authentic embroidered shirt, or Vyshyvanka, to school, to show her classmates and share this part of her Ukrainian heritage.
International Vyshyvanka Day (Embroidered Shirt Day) is celebrated on the third Thursday of May.
Eleven-year-old Alisa also wore her embroidered shirt to school.
“It is a piece of clothing from Ukraine. I am very proud. This was my mom’s and I believe it is 20 years old.”
Ukrainian ancestors believed that the embroidery of the shirt “protects against evil forces.”
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress explains the importance of the day.
“The embroidered shirt holds deep significance as it symbolizes Ukrainian heritage, and dignity and represents the resilience of the Ukrainian people in the face of adversity.”
On this day, wearing a vyshyvanka, is a symbol of unity and solidarity worn by Ukrainians around the world.
“Embroidered Shirt Day started a few years ago being recognized as a public holiday in Ukraine. And people on that day wear their embroidered shirts to represent their culture, to represent their national heritage, to recognize the vyshyvankas, the embroidered shirts, as part of them being Ukrainians and to show society that we are united through the embroidered shirts,” explained Nadiia Stukalova who made the move to Canada three years ago.
Traditionally the shirt is hand-made, embroidered with various colours of thread.
“Every region of Ukraine has its own symbols and its own techniques that are used to make the embroidered shirt. At the same time, they have special symbols which are depicted on the shirt, and each region represents those symbols. For example, in my region, where I’m originally from, we used to have eternity symbols, we have a lot of cross stitches in colours which show the crops of Ukraine, which represent the wheat of Ukraine. As for the other regions, they also have their special colours, their special images which represent their region as well.”
The embroidery is similar for both sexes.
“Sometimes it is made in pairs, to match each other. But at the same time, women may have more lace, while men don’t. I think these could be the main differences,” explained Stukalova.
The embroidered shirt is worn throughout the year on other occasions as well.
“People can wear vyshyvankas on their wedding day when they go to church, or to celebrate different holidays. At the same time, they tend to wear vyshyvankas if there is a burial of someone, but they could also wear them at birthday parties or even school celebrations,” Stukalova shared.
“My mom is actually a schoolteacher, and she usually wears a vyshyvanka on the first day when school starts, and the last day when school finishes. In the Ukraine that is kind of a special holiday as well.”
Stukalova hopes that wearing the embroidered shirt will generate awareness.
“I truly hope that this day will be recognized here for Ukrainians as well. And Canadians with family roots in Ukraine will be able to recognize this day as part of their national culture and at the same time, that they will be able to wear their vyshyvankas to show their culture to everyone here in society.”
