Re: [Cz-L] Volksgarten walks and girls with bows on their head

As a child I lived about 200 - 300 meter from the northern entrance, the one
with the columns, from the Volksgarten and was taken there every day the
weather was suitable, not just on Sundays. This was quite customary in
Czernowitz, mostly so the children would be in"die frische Luft"
(fresh air). Little girls, from the age of two or thee, till the time they
went to school, almost all had their hair tied with a bow, more or less on
the top of their head. The hair was cut short, just below the ears, parted
on the left side and all the top hair gathered and tied with a large ribbon
with a big bow.

Czernowitzers had very definite ideas as to what was proper and expected and
most of them strictly maintained appearances.

On Sundays, when you wanted to show of your clothes and proper status, you
went for a walk on the Herrengasse. Women on high heels, with hats and
gloves. If it was warm, you kept the right glove on and held the left one in
your right hand. Except in mid-winter, you bought a small bunch of flowers
and held that too. Men wore hats, which they removed when they met an
acquaintance. The greetings ranged from: "Guten Tag gnaedige Frau" or "Kuss
die Hand" to an older or higher status woman, to "Servus" to friends,
to "Shulem Aleichem" to Yiddish speaking friends and acquaintances.

A few years ago, when in Romania, a taxi driver said to me: "sarut mana"
(I kiss your hand). In astonishment I replied: "Mai se spune?" is it still
customary to say this?) The driver responded: "Sunt cele care". There are
those who do.
In Chernivtsi, in 2008, when I was introduced to one of the city officials,
he kissed my hand and in 2006, when I told a local teenage girl, that in the
old days, we Czernowitzers, were very conceited and snobbish, she replied:
"We still are."
"Wir Kaiser Franz Joseph" are alive and well in Chernivtsi/Czernowitz.

Mimi

On 3/7/10 5:05 AM, "E. & G. Weissmann" <EGWeissmann_at_gmx.net> wrote:

>
> Hi, Oded,
> Yes, I am familiar with the custom of a bow right on top of the head.
> Had to wear it in school in Bucharest, to look "pretty and tidy"! It is
> also popular in the Ukraine and Russia. Have only seen it here, in
> Berlin, on some Russian girls' heads, mainly of modest dress. They had
> obviously emigrated not too long ago, and brought this custom along with
> them. However, lately I have not noticed it any more. Most Russian
> immigrants have done well and dress in the most elegant and fashionable way.
> Gabriele

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Received on 2010-03-08 05:51:26