To raise awareness and encourage people to engage in needlework, November 16th was designated as World Needlework Day, celebrated annually on this date.

Needlework encompasses a wide range of activities, including embroidery, knitting, macrame, beading, and painting. Not only is engaging in these hobbies enjoyable, but it also provides excellent relaxation for the nervous system. For example, decoupage or scrapbooking can be calming and allow you to forget about current problems. UNESCO even includes needlework in the list of world cultural heritage because many of its forms are at risk of being lost.

Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers dedicated their free time to knitting, embroidery, and weaving. Beautiful works made with love, such as tablecloths, paintings, shawls, and baskets, were carefully preserved at home and passed down from generation to generation. Many of us still have scarves or socks knitted decades ago, wicker baskets, or wooden utensils.

There are now countless opportunities to engage in needlework. Specialized stores offer a vast assortment of beads, threads, wool, knitting needles, and more. For those just starting out, options like paint-by-number kits or rhinestone-studded appliqués are available. It would be wonderful if on World Needlework Day, you could set aside a couple of hours for your hobby and create something unique with your own hands.