Dent, Bob: Budapest for Children - Our Budapest (Budapest, 1992)
2. Balloons and Fireworks - Holidays and Festivities
BALLOONS AND FIREWORKS 15 are worn and the old church flags and emblems are brought out. Traditional village Easter activities —egg painting, dances, etc. —survive to an extent in the city and can mainly be found in the network of community centres (10), where Easter activities for children are often organised. However, in addition to the eating of traditional “Easter ham” and cold boiled eggs on Easter Sunday, city dwellers generally do carry on the tradition of “watering”, which takes place on Easter Monday, a public holiday. In the villages the young men used to drag the young women to the well and shower them with a bucket of water. In the city this has survived in the degenerated form of men and boys spraying perfume or water on the heads of women and girls and muttering the appropriate verse (in return for a kiss, a painted egg and/or a glass of “pálinka”). Boys from abroad might take delight in going round “watering” girls and women acquaintances with water or perfume in return for a red-painted egg or even some money. They would delight their Hungarian hosts even more if they could memorise the verse (even in the rare English translation below): Zöld erdőben jártam, kék ibolyát láttam, El akart hervadni, szabad-e locsolni ? 1 strolled through the green forest, I saw a blue violet—it wanted to droop. May I water you? May 1st The traditional May Day celebrations used to involve a big parade of trade union and workers’ organisations along Dózsa György út by the City Park [Városliget], However it was always a festive occasion involving a carnival atmosphere, weather permitting, with balloons, banners and floats which finished up with further festivities in the park. Today May Day is still a public holiday and the festive atmosphere continues, though without the big parade. CInions affiliated to the main national centre still organise a large event in the City Park and there are usually things going on to interest children
