William Penn Life, 2011 (46. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2011-01-01 / 1. szám

Branching Out with Endre Csornán

A recipe for hope?

Festival reflects change in attitude among Hungarians

by Arlene Csornán

I have been traveling to Hungary since 1989, when the Russian troops finally made their official exit from Hungary. That was a joyful time for everyone; but since then, there have been many changes.

One of the highlights for me on the 2010 WPA trip to Hungary and Croatia was the festival in the town of Tard. This is a unique village located a short distance from the historic city of Eger. As we pulled onto the narrow street leading to the entrance of the festival, several women in Matyó attire came out to officially greet us and proceeded to escort us onto the fairgrounds.

This particular celebration was a "Rooster Stew Competition." Each group of participants had a small cooking area, complete with a colorful table set so you could sit down and taste the stew. After tasting the selections, you could vote for your favorite stew or cook. There were huge trophies at the tables of previous winners. This indeed was a very serious competition!

As the cooking continued, we visited a seemingly endless number of booths selling crafts, jewelry, noodles, jelly, honey and many other items. But I think the most unusual booth-and probably the most popular-was one displaying rings of kolbász, various cuts of meat, tepertő, bacon and numerous other selections. This was truly a Hungarian butcher shop right in the open-air market. I tried to get close to the booth, but my husband cautioned me that I could not purchase anything of that nature to take home. As I sadly turned away, I resigned myself to buying a few bags of homemade noodles and fantasized about how good they would taste in my own csirke leves.

The homemade pastries were another tantalizing attraction which I found hard to resist. I purchased a huge lángos (fried dough). It was beyond anything I had ever experienced in my life. Seriously, it was incredible!

Visiting a memorial to the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 were (l-r) National Vice President-Fraternal Endre Csornán, Arlene Csornán, Thomas House and WPA Chair of the Board Barbara A. House.

I cannot close without mentioning the phenomenal singers, dancers and musicians who performed in native costumes of their area. That wonderful music which carries us back to our Hungarian roots permeated the festival all day.

I will never forget the look of excitement and anticipation on the faces of the children and adults as well.

When I visited Budapest in 1989, the faces of the people were sad and hopeless. Now, I was able to detect a new spirit and hope for the future. Maybe it is just a new generation taking charge. Or, could it be that a new life is emerging in the "old country"? Could it be that they are more content with their life and more optimistic about the future? I pray that they will continue to anticipate the future with a renewed hope and commitment. □

Be a part of our celebration

Next year will be a special year in the long, rich history of William Penn Association. In 2011, we will celebrate our Association’s 125th anniversary. There will be special events throughout the year marking this milestone, all leading up to the grand 125th Anniversary Gala in Pittsburgh in September. As part of our year of celebration, William Penn Life will feature stories on the background and history of WPA, and we invite you to be a part of the story.

Beginning in February, the month of our founding, we will begin recalling the people and events that led from our roots in Hungary, to our beginnings in Hazleton, Pa., to the extending of our Fraternal Spirit across the United States. For many of you, it was your parents, grandparents or great-grandparents who helped build and support William Penn Association. Help us to tell their story and ours by submitting articles or anecdotes about lives that have been touched by William Penn Association.

Please contact John E. Lovász with any items or stories. John can be reached at 1-800-848-7366, ext. 135, or jlovasz@williampennassociation.org.

Your story will help our readers to understand what WPA means to our members and will honor the memory of your loved ones.