Turkey, Bijous and Bartók
Post categories: Student blog
| 11:28 UK time, Thursday, 16 June 2011
Dear blog-readers,
Thank you for these comments, I did not looking forward to receiving so kind answers and encouragements. I really appreciate your nice replies and comments. It really means a lot to me!!!
Now I would like to write about an event which is not as well-known as the Carnival of Flowers.
Yesterday, in the main place of Debrecen something was preparing because handymen hammer stands. They were preparing for the Days of Turkey when the odour of lambs and roast meat was very appetizing. The Days of Turkey in Debrecen (Debreceni Pulykanapok) is a municipal festival when mostly companies compete with dishes and tasty foods. On the official website you can find also pictures of the entertainment. Unfortunately I could not take photos but on this site, there are some taken from bird's eye-view. I think I could not do better. :-) Puppets shows entertain the children; we can taste the professional and amateur confectioners and cooks dishes. One of the most interesting competitions is the waiter's footrace when they have to compete holding on hand a tray and a tankard full of beer. You can see photos
According to me, one of the most valuable parts of this entertainment is the presentation and purchase of old professions' products and a lot of other communal programs commence to follow this tendency nowadays in Hungary. In almost every festival we find the representatives of past Hungarian professions or trades such as basket makers, milk-loaf bakers, fried dough maker, potter and ironsmith in the artisan's fair. Besides the chance is opened also to try how we can shoot with an arrow in a blocked place or how strong we should to be to bend a piece of hot iron (I think the last one is more attractive for men). The costume of course is indispensible accessories so the whole event becomes more and more interactive. The products made by hand have an increasing number of prices since people pay more attention on our national heritage and authentic useful objects (I think).
Meanwhile do not imagine that every house or flat is equipped with spun baskets or we decorate our windows with embroidered curtain using authentic patterns, of course not. Romantic style or even minimalism can characterize a modern Hungarian house. By the way the last one is gaining more and more popularity nowadays, Hungarian magazines about decoration are full of modern furniture and simple shapes are preferable too.
As far as I am concerned I love the objects authentic, clothes, bijous made of wood which live their renascence in Hungary. I prefer them to kitsch and to those things that we can buy in every corner.
One of the best products of Hungary (I think) is our national music. I show you a link of Youtube where you can hear Béla Bartók's composition, one of my favourites: (or perhaps Evening at the Székelys - tradition word by word.) The Székelys are an ethnical group whose origin is not clarified. They show similarity with Hungarians in national culture, language and traditions but they differ from us in way of life (according to an encyclopaedia). Meanwhile I think that these two groups or nations were ever really closely related. Hungary was ever much larger than now. Transylvania was a part of Hungary (and others regions also) where Hungarians live at present too but under the public administration of Romania. The Székelys' home is found in Transylvania which is a popular destination of Hungarians during the summer or even in winter for skiing. (And at the same time emotional attachments are involved too.)
When I hear the piece of music composed by Bartók I have impressions which create this image before my eyes:
There is a female peasant in apron; her back is curved, sitting on the balcony of her house and peel the skin of peas at sunset. The children played with dogs, but they had to finish the play, they have to sleep now. The father lights and hangs the lantern on an angle which has hammered in the wall years ago, he sits down and the breeze blows off the fume of his pipe while the twilight descend and everything calms down. The walls of house are orange painted by the sun. The noises of neighbourhood disappear. Just a wolf will roar at night but now at evening the silence and tranquillity governs the countryside, the forests and the mountains. For instance this one: (The chasm of Torda)
To answer Elizabeth's comment from Austria I have to admit that I know some singers from Vox Antiqua. What a small world! By the way I sang in a little amateur choir not long ago, but we have finished it for some reasons. But I am fond of music mostly classical and folklore music. I learnt playing on organ but I have no time to practice and I am really beginner. Perhaps you have heard about the Debreceni Kollégium Kántus (Choir of Reformed College in Debrecen) who is a choir having had lot of international concerts, have a huge past, and was founded in 1739. My boyfriend was also a singer when he was a secondary school student and they take a tour with concerts in Scotland which was a great experience for him. The Reformed College and the Reformed Secondary School are closely related, the participants of choir comes from mostly the students of the superior and the secondary institution. The choir visited Canada, USA, Germany, Japan, England, Russia, Denmark, and South-Chorea etc..., during its history. So they have a huge reputation. I have heard them singing last week and it was amazing.
Hopefully, at weekend I can have a great fun since almost every large city's museum in Hungary will open their doors and wait the visitors at the occasion of the Night of Museums. This evening out is accompanied by dance shows, exhibitions, programs for families and a mass of people is in the streets of Debrecen. The essential part of this is that we visit the museums at night, because traditionally the program is hold at the longest summer night. (It reminds me always A Midsummer Night's Dream of Shakespeare).
So thanks for your attention and have a nice day.
Comment number 1.
At 17th Jun 2011, fayas1990 wrote:Hi Zsu, It's me fayas again. Wonderful blog, i really enjoyed. I feel jealousy cox u write well:) I wish to know about your family, and friends and how you people study and at what time. What's the currency of Hungary? Is it a rich country? How do people live? What is their main source of Income? Is agriculture sector perfoms well? What Hungary exports?
Hoping ur reply!
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Comment number 2.
At 17th Jun 2011, Les wrote:Hi Zsuzsa!
I'd like to be there :) - at that festival! I'm sure that everything was exciting, but I, like you, would be more interested in the presentation of the products produced in the 'old way' :). You know, I think that in the modern world, old professions are becoming more and more popular :). Not because we're going to return to the lifestyle of our ancestors, but because most of us want more natural products.
Anyway, it's really fun to live in Debrecen :)!
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Comment number 3.
At 17th Jun 2011, Tenzin wrote:You makes great fun and rejoice for us and i hope you keep posting other feelings .
And it would be grateful if you collect the new vocabularies which you use in your essays bottom of your passage .
It can helps readers to progress their new words and they will be happy .
By Namdrol with love
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Comment number 4.
At 19th Jun 2011, Pary wrote:Hi Zsuzsa , It 's great to have you as student Blogger ! I can see we have lots of common favorites things . I 'm waiting to see your other storeis : ) let's to introduce myself if you are interested I 'm Pary From Iran and I 'm and old friend of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ LE Blog :) But some times every day life don't let me to put comments . have a Fab sunday by for now !
Pary
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Comment number 5.
At 19th Jun 2011, Naheed wrote:Hello dear Zsu,
First of all, let me congratulate you on winning the opportunity to blog over the month ofJune. I read your both posts with great interest and the pictures are so beautiful. I visited the link to the festival you shared and this seems to be the event of its kind for food lovers. What were your favourites in the festival? I am also interested to learn about the weather in Hungary.
All the best,
Naheed
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Comment number 6.
At 19th Jun 2011, csepelside wrote:Hi Zsuzsa,
It's great that you write from Hungary. I'm also Hungarian but don't live in Debrecen but in Budapest. We really can be proud of Bartók and the nice music composed by him. This piece of music, Evening in the village is one of his best and well-known compositions. I have just heard it once more. I like Debrecen because of its beautiful places and many students studying in the city. It's also worth mentioning the bath in the Great Forest. Its water is super.
Best wishes, Attila
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Comment number 7.
At 19th Jun 2011, Ditta wrote:Hi Zsu,
Thanks for the introduction of The Days of Turkey in Debrecen. I haven’t heared about this festival yet, but it sounds very ineteresting.
Yes, I also see that the antique professions live their renaissance again in the hungarian festivals. Perhaps the one of the largest handicraft festival is the Festival of Folk Arts (Mesterségek Ünnepe) in the Buda Castle in every august. I like it very much, I love that chlots, and glass necklaces made by young craftsmen and of coures the roasts :) . The Buda Castle what is the stage of this event gives special tone so the visitors feel themselves in the past.
Which museum were you in this weekend? What program did you look at?
In Budapest the Night of Museums will be the next weekend . I don’t know exactly what we will go, but the walking in the National Bank of Hungary or the Kresz Géza Ambulance Museum seem exciting.
Thanks for your blogs.
Take care,
Ditta
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Comment number 8.
At 20th Jun 2011, Virag75 wrote:Hi Zsuzsa,
I have never heard about The Days of Turkey. So it was interesting for me to read about.
I think you had one very good sentence: "One of the best products of Hungary is our national music". I can agree with you absolutly. On last week-end there was the Operafestival in Miskolc and I danced csángó dances. I love csángó music and I'm also very proud of Bartók.
Have nice days,
³Õ¾±°ùá²µ
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Comment number 9.
At 20th Jun 2011, Sahand wrote:Hi Zsuzsa,
How are you?
Your blog is great and helpful again like your previous one.
Thanks for you describing one of your country's festival in some details and some other useful topics you included in the text.
But I like to know more about your local foods and local costumes as well.
(Actually, I'm not a great food lover as Naheed said in her post, but it's worth knowing about some of your local foods and their recipes of course if it doesn't cause you much trouble my dear friend)
Thank you again and God blesses You.
Sahand
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Comment number 10.
At 20th Jun 2011, zsuzsa wrote:Hi Zsuzsa
Guess what my name's Zsuzsa too and I am an English teacher living in France. My parents are Hungarian and they left Hungary in 1956 unfortunately or fortunately as I may have not been born. I left the UK 10 yrs ago to come to France where I married a lovely French man, I never lived in Hungary but my parents brought me up as a Hungarian and although i never went to school there I speak well and read and write too.
Good luck with your english, I must go and prepare my lessons now, bye for now.
Sok puszit Franciabol
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Comment number 11.
At 22nd Jun 2011, Elisabeth wrote:Hi Zsuzsa,
That's fantastic that you know some of the singers of "Vox Antiqua"! Please, tell them I was very impressed by them last summer in Austria - in fact, they got my vote for the "Audience's Favourite Choir" Award - though I'm not sure who got the award in the end...
Call me a freak, but I've also heard of the Debreceni Kollégium Kántus! They took part in that annually-held international choir festival in 1988 (I can never bring myself to throw those booklets away - so I've got quite a collection in the meantime).
It would be a lie to say I have any distinct memories of them - but I must have heard them... There was another participant from Debrecen by the name of "Sol Oriens" in 1997, AND Hungary was again represented by a choir from Debrecen in 1998 (Maróthi György Teachers' Choir) - so my booklets are telling me...
Quite obviously singing has a huge tradition in your city and in your country, and Hungary has given us a number of really eminent composers of vocal (but not only vocal) music, too. You mentioned Bartók, and I'm also thinking of Lajos Bárdos and György Ligeti.
I absolutely admire you for learning to play the organ. I think it's probably the hardest instrument to learn. I can't even play the piano properly....
Anyway, don't give up! Hope you'll have the time one day to continue practising!
Best wishes from Austria,
Elisabeth
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Comment number 12.
At 23rd Jun 2011, Elisabeth wrote:Oh - and how could I forget Zoltán Kodaly?! Great music! Who else did I forget to mention?
With apologies,
Elisabeth
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Comment number 13.
At 24th Jun 2011, Varisha wrote:Hi Zsuzsa,
I read both your posts with interest but I didn't get the chance to comment on your previous post. Anyway, I must say that your English is excellent and the pictures you posted are fantastic. I am enjoying reading about your culture and hoping to learn more about your country from your next coming up posts. The 'Days of Turkey' festival seems to be an amazing festival but I am curious to know why it is called the 'Days of Turkey'. Is it anything to do with Turkey? Do you know the history behind it? It will be interesting to know. I would be also interested in your other traditions as well such as your traditional food, religion, and language/s.
Looking forward to your next post.
All the best
Negee
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