The tradition of weaving many braids among Uzbek women has been around for a long time. Today, this custom is not observed by all representatives of this people. It is much more common to find women of the older generation with pigtails than young girls. In fact, the braids here have their own purpose and are braided, so to speak, using a special technology.
1. Jamalak threads
Probably, many have noticed that Uzbek braids are beautiful and voluminous. And the point here is not at all in the structure of the hair, but in the secret of weaving. To make the hairstyle look more impressive, special threads called zhamalak are woven into the hair. They have been used since antiquity. Even the frescoes of Penjikent (works from about the fifth to eighth centuries) depict girls with braids into which these threads are woven.
Jamalak is made from several cotton or silk threads. They are twisted into a single thread and dyed black. The length of one such lace is fifty centimeters. The ends of the lace are decorated with beads or tassels.
This hairstyle is somewhat similar to African braids, but the hair from these braids does not suffer or deteriorate. In Uzbekistan, braids are woven not from the very roots of the hair, but they are indented, somewhere seven to ten centimeters, so there is no negative effect on blood circulation. Starting from the middle of the braid, jamalak is woven into it, which creates volume and also adds shine.
2. National traditions
According to Uzbek traditions, women in the presence of men could not walk with their hair down over their shoulders. In this regard, braids were woven by absolutely all the fair sex, from little girls to older ladies. Today, not everyone follows the tradition. Only folk artists and girls from the distant periphery still wear such pigtails. In cities, you can also find a girl with pigtails, but rarely. Basically, there, as elsewhere, more modern hairstyles are in fashion.
3. Convenience
Pigtails are not just external beauty, but also convenience. There is no need to wash them with woven threads every day, you can go for a week. Even if it is hot outside, the hair does not turn oily, moreover, this process slows down.
But this does not mean a lack of hair care as such. One folk remedy was often used. The head was washed with katyk or sour milk. Now, too, many Uzbek women use this tool. If you do this on an ongoing basis, then the hair becomes thick, long and silky, to the envy of everyone.
4. The value of braids
Long hair was considered pride in the old days, and cutting it off was a shame. Hair could be cut off as punishment for misconduct or as a tarnished honor for the entire family. Traditionally, the number of braids indicated the age of a lady and her status. Until the moment the girl got married, she had forty braids. After marriage - two. As soon as a woman turned eighty years old, the number of braids returned to its original position - forty. In this case, they spoke of the venerable age of their mistress.
Even in our time in Uzbekistan, long hair is treated with special trepidation, and it does not matter that it is not braided in braids. The most popular hairstyles are those with medium length hair. Today it is not easy to find a real master of weaving traditional Uzbek braids. Their contacts are kept and transmitted by word of mouth only to the closest people.
Continuing the topic read, why is it considered the norm for Uzbeks to eat with their hands while sitting on the floor and sleep there.