Hungarian Conservative

In Reform Era Hungary, on Easter Monday in the countryside maidens would be grabbed by boys, dragged to the nearest river and ‘dipped’ in it. If there was no river nearby, they would be taken to wells, laid in troughs and doused with cold water. On more than one occasion the poor girls would get a stroke from the cold water or die of pneumonia a few days later.

Among the foods eaten in Italy at Easter, Gianni Annoni highlighted lamb, which is mainly imported from Hungary. He added that eggs are also important, used to decorate savoury cakes, especially in southern Italy, along with spring vegetables and Easter desserts.

Our Lenten traditions include some elements that promote cooperation, while others are about cleaning up our environment or purifying our bodies and souls. By transposing these into the present day we may gather much needed strength in these difficult times.

‘Through the Kun and Jász peoples, this city still represents the Central Asian roots of the Hungarians today,’ Finance Minister Mihály Varga said at the inauguration, adding that herefore, the symbolic building of the Treasure of Karcag Art and Conference Centre, known as the Shaman Drum, has been placed in probably the best location in the country.

On the last day of Carnival, we share the thoughts of education scientist Mária Bajzáth, founder of a pedagogical storytelling workshop, on the role of masks, the magic of tales, and the community-building and community-preserving power of the festival.

The consumption of lentils at midnight on New Year’s Eve or on the first day of the New Year is one of the most widespread Hungarian customs. According to tradition, each lentil symbolizes a coin. Those who partake in lentils on the first day of the New Year are believed to have a full wallet throughout the entire year.

Preparing for Christmas should not equal plenty of spending and waste: if we resort to the good old practices of our grandparents, we can be frugal and environmentally conscious at the same time.

‘I strongly believe that we have to shake people up to make them feel Hungarian…That is why the stakes are as high in Hungary as they are here in America.’

‘Today we still need a place to come together, to cherish our nationality, traditions, and customs. We need a place that is truly ours, that is a substitute for the Old Country, and that welcomes all our fellow citizens who approach us with goodwill. Today we still believe in the principles on which this organization was built, and to which we must continue to adhere if we are to survive.’

The 92-year-old Munkácsy Prize-winning painter, while building upon the legacy of his Nagybánya predecessors, has also reflected on the historical tragedies of the 20th century in his art.

Edmund Burke is widely revered in conservative circles. However, due to the taboos of modern politics, his views on democracy are seldom debated.

Life in the East was not at all easy for the newcomers, as they had to preserve their traditions while developing their identity in a completely new social and religious environment.