Who is not passionate about Asia and its culture? Now, perhaps, almost no one, because oriental customs and traditions attract tourists so much that they don’t want to come back. Speaking about Vietnam, people most often mention a strange piece of clothing for them - a cone-shaped hat. What kind of "fruit" is this? What are Vietnamese hats called? This may be a revelation, but such hats are common in all Asian countries, only they are called a little differently.
Mysterious name
The name of such a hat in each language is different. For example, the people of Korea call it "satkat", but only Buddhist monks wear it.
The Chinese and Taiwanese gave her the name "dou li", which literally means "ten liter hat". This is not surprising, since in the past such a wardrobe item was used not only as a headdress, but also as a container for water.
In Japan, a conical hat is called "sugegasa", which translates as "sedge hat", or"amigasa" ("wicker hat"). Japanese names are also very practical - such hats are most often woven from plant materials, but more on that later.
In Vietnam, the hat was called "non" or "non la", which means "hat-leaf". A type of conical hat that is made in Hue is literally called "nonbaitho". The word translates as "poem hat", and this is due to its appearance. Such headdresses are hand painted with various patterns, various Chinese poems are written on them, which can be seen only in the light.
Vietnamese legend of the origin of the headdress
The inhabitants of this country are very fond of various legends, one of them concerns the famous Vietnamese hats. The legend tells of a beautiful tall woman wearing a magical hat made of strange leaves connected by bamboo. She went from one settlement to another, and every time she appeared, the clouds in the sky instantly dispersed and good weather came. This woman taught the Vietnamese people a lot: how to grow vegetables, fruits and trees, how to cultivate fields … And then she disappeared. No one knew for what reason, but everyone was sure that she had gone to heaven. Since then, people began to make hats, like that sorceress, because they believed that her invention would protect them from the sun, rain, disease and adversity, as her mistress did.
Vietnamese hat fashion
Despite the fact that the headdress is traditionally considered peasant, Vietnamese girls love these hats. In-firstly, it is convenient - some beauties attach a secret mirror to the top of the cone in order to discreetly monitor their appearance. Secondly, it is considered insanely attractive: a young girl in a traditional Vietnamese ao dai dress and a non hat looks mysterious and charming, like the heroine of the legend of the hat.
Functional cap
As mentioned earlier, Vietnamese hats are very practical. First of all, it is a very comfortable and sophisticated piece of clothing. It is worn to hide the head from the scorching sun. This hat is also very handy as an umbrella - there is no need to hold it in your hand, because it is firmly fixed above your head.
It is used as a basket in the market, as a fan in the heat, as a plate during a picnic, as a stylized lamp. If the headdress is straw or made of matting, then it can be dipped in water and used as another means of cooling in the heat. However, young people like a different use of the hat - its radius well hides a kissing couple during dates.
How to make a Vietnamese hat?
Traditionally, this wardrobe item is made from dried palm leaves, bamboo and natural threads, which have been replaced by fishing line in modern production. From the outside it may seem that this process is not so difficult, but it is not.
First you need to collect the leaves and prepare them for sewing. Most often, the leaves of the Sabal palmetto palm tree are taken when they are still green. They are cut into strips, ironedand left to dry in the sun to bleach. They are then treated with sulfur to protect against mold and insects.
Bamboo is taken for the frame of the hat. It attaches in kitchens where the smoke protects them from spoilage and insect attack. For a hat, shoots with long logs are taken, which are then cut into narrow strips.
Then the process of making the hat begins. What it will be depends on the talent and skills of the master - some are able to make such a dress that there will be no holes from the needle on it, and the leaves themselves will gently shimmer in the light. The hat in the end is a frame - several bamboo rings from 4 to 40 cm in diameter - and palm leaves attached to it, sewn together. The headdress is fixed with either a leather strap or silk ribbons, depending on the purpose.
Easy hat making
The process described above is very complicated, but sometimes a headdress of this cut is simply necessary, for example, as an interior decoration or as a decoration for a themed party. The way out will be slightly unconventional Vietnamese hats made of paper. Such a headdress will be possible for everyone.
We will need:
- Paper or cardboard.
- Scissors.
- Glue.
- Strings or ribbons.
- Paints, glitter, cutouts, etc.
How to make a Vietnamese paper hat? Simple and easy, because the hat looks like a cone that schoolchildren make in geometry lessons. Must be cut frompaper or cardboard circle of the required diameter. Next, you need to make a cut to the center and glue the hat in the right place, making sure that the cone is not too sharp. Then you can decorate the product with paints, sparkles, magazine clippings, so that the headdress sparkles with bright colors.
Another option is corrugated cardboard. On its surface there are folds that will imitate straw. From afar, this hat will look like it was made by a real Vietnamese craftsman.
Vietnamese people are very attached to their national headdress, although in capital cities, hats are mostly worn by tourists or cyclists. Nevertheless, this piece of clothing will be a great souvenir that is not only inexpensive, but also conveys the unique atmosphere of Asian culture.
