Református ujság - Fraternity-Testvériség, 1940 (18. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1940-06-01 / 6. szám
TESTVÉRISÉG 11 GREETINGS IN HUNGARY Mrs. Kálmán D. Tóth “God is with us!” (Velünk az Isten”). This from a wee bit of a girl in Putnok, a little town in Hungary, and mind you, — solemn and sincere! I had a vague feeling that it required a reply in a similar vein, but all I could answer was my usual blasé, “Good evening!” I had not quite recovered from my surprise when I heard this greet- ing again and the reply: “Peace be unto you!” I was beginning to feel quite at home in this little town where I had spent but a night and a day. How sociable and natural these people are! How kind to strangers and especially to foreigners ! And how expressive their language: how interesting and varied their greetings! Of course I had rather expected this — i. e. all but the latter. According to the English books and articles I have read on Hungarian customs, the salutations. “I kiss your hand!” and “I am your most humble servant!”, are apparently the most popular and the most indigenous to Hungary. When I read these, I remember how much I disapproved of this fawning and servile form of address. It sounded too European to my ears. I had no patience with it. How misinformed I was! These greetings are definitely both of foreign extraction and are slowly but surely becoming extinct. (The first was imported from Austria; the second is of Latin origin (“Servus humillimus!”). Instead of these you will hear, in the the morning, “God give you a good morning!” (“Adjon Isten jó reggelt!”). But it will not be returned in a similar or more abbreviated form as in America, but: “May your night’s rest rebund to your health!”, or “God grant it!” If you take leave of some one, the customary thing to say, is, “God bless you!” (“Isten áldja meg!”) or “God be with you!” (“Isten vele!”). And there are many variations of these. What a relief from the stereotyped, monotonous ones we hear daily in America! The latter remind me now of the “sheeny” (as we used to call the rag-man) who sings but one song daily. Besides these variations of everyday greetings there are very interesting ones exchanged by members of political, patriotic and religious groups. The members of the National Socialist Party greet each other thus, “Stand fast!” — “Victory!” raising the right hand in salute. The “levente”-s, members of a semi-military youth organization address each other with “A brighter future!” expecting the reply, “God grant it!” The war veteran salutes his comrade: “With honour!” “Till death!” comes the swift reply. As evident, my tour gave me splendid opportunities of making interesting observations. On many of the city streets I was surprised to see groups of Boy Scouts chatting away. I suppose I shouldn’t have been. In spite of knowing that a world Jamboree was held near Budapest some years ago, and another one this summer, (before I left Canada for the first time), I was still inclined to believe that America and England were the established homes for Scouts. However, I was very much mistaken. I have discovered since that the Boy Scout and the Girl Guide movements here are among the best organized in the world. But what particularly caught my attention this day was the good old scout greeting, “Good work!” and the answer, “Be prepared!” How well I knew that greeting! How often I have heard it at home! It touched a certain spot — a very warm spot — that I shall always keep for our Canadian boys. Since my husband and I have settled down temporarily in a little village near Budapest, I have had still more opportunities of making observations. Among the many I shall mention one of the most interesting. We were walking one day on Ócsa’s streets when we came upon a group of rather noisy children (my husband’s pupils). As we approoched they suddenly hushed up and greeted us in unison, “Serve with love!” My husband replied, “Be faithful unto death!” This was all new to me, and I just had to know all about it. The children belong to the “Soli Deo Gloria” Student Federation, Twenty years ago, as the result of a nationwide religious revival, the “Soli Deo Gloria” Student Federation of the Reformed Church was formed for the purpose of training an intelligen- tia of strong Christian faith and Cal- vinistic philosophy of life. Their emblem is Calvin’s symbol: a hand holding a burning heart, with the inscription “I offer my heart as a burning sacrifice only to the glory of God!” (“Soli deo gloria.”) Whenever I meet a young boy or girl wearing this badge, I know now what greeting I can expect and I am ready with the answer, “Be faithful unto death!” Just from these greetings alone one gets the impression of a happy, healthy, Christian spirit pervading everyone and everything. This lovely custom has not only caught my fancy but has engraved itself in my heart. I hope it will gradually be better known and even emulated by the world. Indeed, many a nation might profit by following the example of a poor, little, suffering country that in spite of all odds has kept faith with God and has preserved that very essential element of neighborliness, naturalness and spontaneity which is manifest in their treatment of and greetings to each other and strangers within their gates.
