William Penn Life, 1984 (19. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
1984-01-01 / 1. szám
Christmas in Hungary The preparation for Christmas in the folk custom of Hungary begins on St. Lucia’s Day, December 13th, when wheat is placed in a plate of water and sprouts up by Christmas. This wheat, a symbol of life in Christ, is placed under the Holy Crib or under the Christmas tree. On December 13th—carving of a wooden stool is begun—the “stool of St. Lucia.” The carving is done carefully and slowly so that it is exactly finished by Christmas when it is then carried to Christmas Mass. One stands on the stool in the rear of the Church, and according to legend, you can see the witches in the congregation, if there are any to be seen! The Advent Wreath is made from a branch of a tree and formed into a circle. On each Sunday of Advent a candle is added so that by Christmas four candles are lighted and the Wreath is placed on a table. In the ancient days, Hungarians used live tree branches decorated richly to symbolize the “tree of life” in Paradise. In legend, this was the wood of the cross of Christ. Symbolism in modern times has become the custom of the Christmas tree, following other Western customs. The decorations of the Hungarian Christmas tree, including the silverfoiled candy called “szálán cukor” and decorated honey cookies, are all edible and are nibbled on by the young children throughout the holiday. Fresh fruit such as apples and figs and chocolate candies add to the variety on the tree. As the bell tolls for Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, the oldest man in the family brings a bucket of water into the house and his wife throws an apple or casts a silver coin into it for the socalled “water blessing” after which everyone greets each other with “Merry Christmas.” The apple symbolizes the “Newborn Child” and the silver is placed in the Church Poor Box. In Hungarian villages on Christmas Eve, the people warm long sticks of bread in a little water and then pour milk, honey and ground poppyseeds over it. Since meat is forbidden on the Eve of Christmas, the meal is abundant with sweet dishes and other delicacies. The “Wheat of St. Lucia” may be put on the table as well. Cakes in the shape of the lamb are served, also. If more people would use safety belts instead of making excuses for not using them, there would be more people. "Christmas . . . An Ethnic Experience" HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA —The Governor's Heritage Affairs Advisory Commission and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission co-sponsored the fourth annual "Christmas . . . An Ethnic Experience" program at the William Penn Memorial Museum. Pictured are (fourth from left) Charles Bojanic, Chairman of the Governor's Heritage Affairs Commission; (fifth from left) Walter Baran, Secretary of General Services; (sixth from left) the Hungarian-American Commissioner, Dr. Tibor Bodi and numerous members of the American Hungarian Federation in their native costumes. The Commonwealth's cultural holiday festivity, “Christmas ... An Ethnic Experience,“ opened December 1 1 through January 7 at the William Penn Museum in Harrisburg to record numbers who came to view the traditional holiday customs of 25 countries from around the world. The ethnic Christmas tree exhibit began with ceremonies which included an address by Secretary of General Services Walter Baran who stressed the importance of not only understanding one's own ethnic heritage, but also appreciating the ethnic heritage of others. "We must share our own pride, and we must acknowledge the pride of others. Ethnic pride becomes selfdefeating and hypocritical, if it is expressed so narrowly as to show resentment or ridicule toward other ethnic cultures. That is why this celebration here today is so marvelous, bringing together so many different groups in one room," he said. Baran reminded the audience of many old-world customs and traditions which have become part of Christmas in America. The event was jointly sponsored by the Governor's Heritage Affairs Advisory Commission (GHAAC) and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. GHAAC Chairman Charles Bojanic spoke of how "each ethnic group in Pennsylvania has the freedom to develop its own unique qualities and strengths . . . yet they all bring the message of Christmas." Traditional folksinging and the needlework of Portugal was demonstrated by the Bethlehem Portuguese community on Sunday, December 1 1. Demonstrations included hand spinning flax into yarn, Madeira embroidery, crochet techniques and lacemaking. Other activities during the day included holiday visual presentations by the Asian Indian Christian communities of Harrisburg and Philadelphia. Narration and music were presented in the four native languages of Hindi, Malayalam, Oriya, and Tamil. The Daigozivo (Bulgarian for "give it some life") Folkdance Ensemble later performed some of the dance traditions of the Balkan countries of Romania, Hungary, Greece and Yugoslavia. The following Sunday a group of young women from Philadelphia's Swedish community presented the Lucia procession. This custom honors St. Lucia, the patron saint of light, and ushers in the Christmas season. The candles in the Lucia queen's crown symbolize the food which will grow again in the productive seasons of spring and summer. Lithuanian wheat weaving was later demonstrated by Annie Morgalis and her craft students. Siaudinukai (wheat weaving) is one of the traditions associated with decorating the Christmas tree. Duk Yeong Kim, a recent immigrant from Korea to central Pennsylvania, demonstrated the techniques and materials of Oriental calligraphy. Shalom Staub, Director of State Folklife Programs, said he hopes this annual event will convey the importance of keeping ethnic traditions alive, and he is already planning for next year's event. GHAAC Commissioner Dr. Tibor Bodi coordinated the Hungarian- American community tree trimming with help from the American Hungarian Federation. 10
