Not Your Grandma’s Handkerchief
If you grew up in the United States, when you think of a handkerchief more than likely you think of a thin white embroidered piece of cotton that your grandmother kept rolled up under the cuff of her sleeve. Or maybe that was just my grandma. In fact all of the women in my family had hoards of unused beautiful delicate handkerchiefs that were discovered in their closets after they passed. Some even in the gift boxes with the accompanying tags. Most of those have been used now by me and my husband for the last 15 years and sadly many have holes and some have been retired to the compost.
Over the last few years my husband and I have travelled to Japan three times. One of the fun things about traveling is learning the customs and behaviors of other cultures. While there may be some countries that share Western customs that we may be more familiar with, Japan is a country that has maintained a unique sense of self like no other that I have experienced. There are so many unique qualities to Japanese culture that we have observed and admired during our visits.
The handkerchief is one of those items that is still very common in Japan today. On our visit this past winter I came across a handkerchief shop filled with the most beautiful modern cotton handkerchiefs. These are more like the familiar to us cotton cloth used for wiping or blowing one’s nose. But as I have been purchasing towels for the shop and looking for more options in Japan to bring home I started to notice something. There is a common product in many gift shops that we would probably call a washcloth. This is often but not always a terry cloth small square or in some cases a rectangle. Sometimes made from a double gauze fabric or other sturdy cotton. Usually fairly thin but still thicker than your grandma’s cotton handkerchief. And these are literally everywhere.
I started to wonder: what is this handkerchief that is so different from the one my grandmother used? And why don’t they just call it a washcloth?
The answer is really simple. In Japanese culture, a handkerchief is just a piece of cloth used for wiping sweat, drying one’s hands in a public bathroom, or cleaning an unexpected mess. Those tasks are not specific to Japanese culture and yet why is this practice not something we see daily in our lives. I think the simple answer for that is: disposable paper towels. Because think about it. How many times have you been somewhere away from home and needed something to wipe the sweat off your face, dry your hands, clean something messy off your body or face or your kids face?
They are thicker because well messes are sometimes just too much for a delicate lacey piece of cotton.
So next time you head out into the world, think about throwing a handkerchief in your bag or pocket. I assure you that you will not regret it.
Find these little pocket handkerchiefs in the shop. Perfect for putting in a pocket as they are thin but absorbent. They are also delightfully cute.