HBC has created several activity pages in the various country sections of our site. Thus readers can learn about the activities popular in differet countrie and the clothes worn for those activities. In some cases activity clothing is similar around the world. There are many regionl and even some world wide similarities. Boys of course will be boys regardless of the culture in which they grow up. Some countries have desinctive styles for various activities, although this is becoming less common. There are, however, still many activities destinctive to specific countries. Some of these country activity pages are fairly well developed, others we have just begun. Hopefully our HBC readers will provide information about boys' activities in their countries.
HBC has collected information on a variety of activities in which Australian boys have participated in over time. Many of these activiities involve specialized
costumes. Other images show trends in Austrralian boys' clothing over time. Some of the activities include choir, choir, dance, games, religious observation, school,
sport, and many other activities.
HBC has collected information on a variety of activities in which German boys have
participated in over time. Many of these activiities involve specialized costumes. Other
images show trends in German boys' clothing over time. Some of the activities include choir,
choir, dance, games, religious observation, school, sport, and many other activities.
HBC has noted certain outfits worn for a variety of occassions or activities such as school or youth groups. We have also noted more specialized outfits worn for
choirs or First Communion. We are archiving information on these activity uniform or clothes in this section. There is also specialized clothing worn for dance or
dressing up for music recitals.
There are costumes, uniforms, and other clothing associated with a
variety of activities. Here we have just begun to collect
information. We have some limited information on choirs, religious
observation, schools, youth groups and other activities.
Boys in China, as in all other countries, engage in a wide range of activitiies for which specialized clothing are costuming is worn. Here we are just beginning to collect some basic information. This clothing and costume has changed over time and along with changing political regimes in China. This includes choir, dance, music, school, sports, youth groups, and a range of other activities. There are several children's choirs in China,
normally mixed choirs with both boys and girls. There are also several dance groups. Many such groups specialize in ethnic or folk groups. We know less about music. Most Chinese schools require school uniforms. Sports are popular in China, but there does not appear to be any tradition of inter-scholastic athletics or broad-based programs, like children's soccer leagues, giving children of average ability the chance to enjoy competitive athlectics.
HBC has collected information on a variety of activities in which English boys have participated in over time. Many of these activiities involve specialized costumes. Other images show trends in English boys' clothing over time. Some of the activities include choir, choir, dance, games, religious observation, school, sport, and many other activities.
Boys engage in a variety of activities from choral singing to athletics. Other major activities include dance, music, school, Scouting, summer camp, and much more.
Athletics seems to have been less important in France than in America and England, in part becaise of the higly academic orientation of the school system. Many of
these activities have destinctive clothing or even uniforms. HBC has begun to collect information on these activities and the clothing associated with them over time. A
French reader stressesm however, that boys' and other clothing styles were suprisingly similar throughout France. This is in part due to the centralized system that
French leadersm especially Louis XIV and Napoleon built.
HBC has collected information on a variety of activities in which German boys have
participated in over time. Many of these activiities involve specialized costumes. Other
images show trends in German boys' clothing over time. Some of the activities include
choir, choir, dance, games, religious observation, school, sport, and many other activities.
Boys have been photographed both at work and at play showing varying fashions over time. Boys have traditionally learned craft like shoe repair (tsagaris). Poor
boys have earned money shining shoes. Images exists of boys playing games. Greek boys have been photographed with bicycles, marbles, group games like hide
and seek, hopscotch, and other unique games like "kotsia". This is played with the knee bones of the sheep (after the sheep is eaten during Easter). At "kathara
Deftera" all children (mostly the boys) fly a kite. Many Greek boys until the economy became more prosperous in the 1960s couldn't afford football balls. Often they
would make do with sheep bladders. Other activities include music and dance.
We see Latvian boys involved in a range of diffrent activities. There have been some Latvian boys' choirs. We see Latvian children with many of the toys popular in Germany. We also note a range of differentgames. Latvin national holidays include: January 1--New Year's Day; Good Friday; Easter Sunday; May 1--Labor Day; June 24--Midsummer; November 18--Independence Day; December 24-26 (Christmas). As in the rest of Europe, football (soccer) was the the preminent national sport. Scouting was the principal boys' youth groups. Latvia had until the Soviet invasion an active Scouting movement. The Soviets banned Scouting and Latvian boys hd to participate in the Young Pioneers movement. There are many areas such as music and dance that we still know nothing about. Hopefully our Latvian readers will tell us more about boys' activities in their country.
Boys engage in a variety of activities from choral singing to athletics. Other major activities include dance, music, school, Scouting, summer camp, and much more.
Athletics seems to have been less important in the Netherlands than in America and England, in part becaise of the more academic orientation of the school system.
Many of these activities have destinctive clothing or even uniforms. HBC has begun to collect information on these activities and the clothing associated with them
over time.
Here we will archive information on the activities persued by Polish boys and the destinctive costuming associated with those activities. This will include information
on Polish choirs, dancing, music, schools, sports, and other activities. We also have developed some information on Polish youth groups.
Russian boys like boys in other countries often wear destinctive clothing for a variety of activities. Soviet-era boys wore school uniforms, but this is
less common in Russia today. Young Pioneer uniforms were basically the same as the school uniform. The Pioneers are now gone, but Scouting has appeared in Russia on a small scale. After school boys took off their uniforms to put on their play clothes. There is destinctive sports wear and uniforms as well as choir and dance uniforms. Russia is particularly noted for ballet. Boys dress up for special occassions which now includes attending church or outings of various sorts.
Scottish boys participate in the same range of activities as do boys in other countries. Here there is a graet similarity with England. Scottish boys will dress simalrly with Englis boys for choir, church, dance, holiday celebrations, music, play, school, Scouts, sport, and a host of other activities. One difference would be the kilts that Scottish boys wear
for Highland dancing at either Highland gatherings or other events. Some cottish boys also used to wear kilts for church, but this is now less common except for boys at private schools. Scottish Cubs tend to dress like English Cubs, but some Scottish Scouts wear kilts when dressing up for special occassions.
We do not yet have much information on boys' activities and associated clothing in Tajikistan. Many such activities are similar to common activities in Europe. Sone
of the traditional outfits associated with activities are quite destinctive. A HBC reader reports, "At the Opera House was a Traditional Music group dressed in their
Uniform and playting a variety of ancient type instruments."
Boys have been photographed both at work and at play showing varying fashions over time. Boys have traditionally learned various crafts. Poor boys have earned
money shining shoes. School and play became increasingly important in the 20th century. Images exists of boys playing games. American boys have been
photographed with bicycles, marbles, group games like hide and seek, mummeldipeg, and others. Important activities include art, choir, dance, music, pets, school,
Scouting, sports, and much more. Chemistry and erector sets used to be of great interest. Today of course it is the computer. Especially important activities for
American boys are hunting and fishing, although this has declined somewhat as America continues to urbanize.
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