Culture, Clothing, Immigration, Emigration, and Migration

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Culture, Clothing, Immigration, Emigration, and Migration

Tracht is a local term in Germany used to refer to the country’s traditional cloths, hairstyles, beards and accessories. It is a common term among the Germans and a tradition related to this country. Leather knee-length trousers commonly identify tracht among men in German. Alternatively, they can wear short pants made from the same material together with wool socks along with rustic shoes. Women also have their attire under the same group of traditional clothing. Tracht among women includes the dirndl, which is a huge full-length skirt of dress (Gordeeva, 2012). This is worn alongside a bodice, which is a closefitting attire and an apron to complete the women’s tracht. Hats are also a common part of the complete tracht outfit.

Traditionally, the tracht was common among all Germans, but times have altered the dress code in most parts of the country. Currently, the tracht is associated with people residing in the southern part of Germany. For example, people from Bavaria and Munich still value this dress code as a prestigious wear. As such, the tracht is not an everyday costume for people to wear, but rather a ceremonial dress. It commands respect and value for tradition among its wearers. For example, people attending wedding ceremonies often find it fit to wear the tracht (Tiffany, 2012).

Tracht is a costume associated with traditions and not religion. Back in the days, everyone wore a tracht from men to women and children. However, it was highly associated with various characteristics in the society. In earlier times, it was a tradition kept with the aim of identifying the various social and legal groups in society. For example, married people could be identified with the way they dressed, and so could the single people in the community. Law enforcers in the society and judges were also identified by the tracht they wore whilst among other citizens.

The reason behind the wear during the olden days was keeping up with traditions. People had to have a distinct way of identifying each other in the society. For example, single individuals, married and divorced people were social statuses that were distinctively determined by way of dressing. Currently, modernization has revolutionized the way people dress and the tracht are among the least worn cloths in Germany. People wear the tracht in ceremonies for modesty purposes. Its significance as a traditional symbol is still thriving among the German people. Visitors to the country often identify the tracht among the dress codes they would expect to see many people upholding. Conversely, it is more of a common practice among people in the south of Germany than in the urban areas (Munich Found, 2004).

The tracht as aforementioned is a dress code that roots its source to the traditional days. During this time, German’s citizens considered it as a crucial wear that spoke volumes about their cultural practices and had identification among the people. Although the dress code was overridden by modern ways of dressing, it is still a vital part of German traditional practices (Tiffany, 2012).

In order for an individual to be properly assimilated into a new culture, she should reject the traditions and culture of her previous country and concentrate on those of the new country. Wearing items that identify an individual with a culture outside his or her adoptive country slows down the assimilation process, or worse, alienates the individual from his or her adoptive society. The statement is in reference to a case where one migrates to a new country or region, and the culture is different. I partially agree with this statement since one has the capability of accommodating new cultures while at the same time retaining previous ones. For example, in my case, I would want to retain a culture of wearing cloths bearing my country’s name. It is significant for me to preserve this culture to avoid losing my cultural roots. Indeed, if I were denied this opportunity, I would be disappointed since I would be losing an integral part of me.

References

Gordeeva, T. (2012. A glimpse from the past: Native German clothing (Dirndl and Tracht). German Culture. Retrieved on 14 Oct. 2013 from http://www.germanculture.com.ua/library/weekly/aa073100a.htm

Munich Found. (2004). Back on Tracht. Retrieved on 14 Oct. 2013 from http://www.munichfound.com/archives/id/96/article/1865/

Tiffany. (2012). Debunking myths about Germany: Trachten. No Ordinary Homestead. Retrieved on 14 Oct. 2013 from http://www.noordinaryhomestead.com/debunking-myths-about-germany/