William Penn Life, 2016 (51. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2016-01-01 / 1. szám
Tibor s Take incorporate Hungarian culture into a multicultural or modern wedding. Here are a few other suggestions: 1. If the bride is Hungarian, perhaps consider a wedding dress made in Hungary, like my sister Lizzy did? There are many Hungarian designers who are capable of beautiful work, and it's a wonderful excuse to travel to the Land of the Magyars! 2. Consider spending your honeymoon (or part of it) in Hungary. You can sign up on Honeyfund, the free online wedding registry, so your guests can buy you a bottle of Tokaji or treat you to a dinner at the Mátyás Pince, and much more! 3. Make the Hungarian "dollar dance" part of the reception agenda. In the dollar dance, male guests "pay" a token amount to the bride for a dance, and the female guests "pay" a similar amount to dance with the groom. (As a side note, the dollar dance is also a common practice in other Southern and Eastern European, Asian, and African cultures, so the other side of the family can partake as well.) 4. As a coda to the dollar dance, it is tradition to offer a bite of pogácsa (bite-sized savory pastries) and a shot of pálinka (fruit brandy) to the men and women after they finish dancing. 5. Use Hungarian-themed cake toppers, a cute and simple way to show your Hungarian pride. 6. Incorporate Hungarian colors (red, white and green) for the tablecloths, napkins, etc. 7. Give Hungarian-themed bridal shower gifts, such as Culinaria Hungary, the classic Magyar cookbook. 8. Use Hungarian-themed invitations, "save the date" cards, or thank you cards. Vintage Hungarian postcards are a great idea for save-the-dates, particularly. 9. Work in a few modern or traditional Hungarian folk songs to the DJ's play list. 10. Give the newlywed couple a bottle of Juhfark ("Sheep's Tail") wine from Somló, Veszprém County, Hungary. It is known as "wedding night wine" because of a popular folk legend that holds that a strong baby boy will be born soon if the wine is drunk on the wedding night. 11. If you are unable to serve Hungarian wine or food as part of the reception dinner, consider adding Hungarian pastries and cakes to the cookie table. 12. Or, consider serving Hungarian food at a bridal shower or the rehearsal dinner. 13. Incorporate Hungarian folk traditions into the wedding ceremony, if possible. One such tradition calls for the Hungarian bride and groom to have their engagement rings, which they have both been wearing on their left hands, to be blessed by the officiant. When the rings are returned to the couple, the bride and groom place the rings on their right hand, demonstrating that they are now husband and wife. And, who says wedding guests can't get in on the fun and sneak in a Magyar twist to the festivities. Here are a couple, courtesy of World Wedding Traditions: • There's a sneaky game which could take place whilst the bride is seated having her dinner. Traditionally, one of the guests creeps under the table and tries to steal her shoes. If the guest succeeds, the groom has to pay a forfeit, such as drinking champagne from one of the shoes. This way, the bride gets her shoe back but has to dance in a soggy shoe all night. • "Kidnap" the bride. She's usually whisked away by some of the groomsmen, and the groom must then have to barter, bribe, bargain or just prove himself a man to get her back for the bridal dance. This is all part of the fun of the event, and the games involved in the groom trying to claim his wife back can be great fun for everyone. At the end of the day, there are plenty of ways to incorporate love and fondness for Hungarian culture into a wedding, but it is even more important to ensure that the lucky couple can enjoy their special day in the presence of their loved ones. Do you have a Hungarian wedding tradition that you would like to share? If so, please write to SilverK- ingl937@gmail.com and your comment may be featured in a future Take. / Éljen a Magyar! Tibor II Tibor Check, Jr., is a member of Branch 28 and a graduate of Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Law Review. He currently is an attorney working in research at American University in Washington, D.C. When he can, Tibor hosts “The Souvenirs of Hungary” radio program on WKTL-FM 90.7, Struthers, Ohio, on Saturdays from noon to 1:30 p.m. Let's hear your take If you have any questions or comments about me or my column, please email me at: silverkingl937@ gmail.com, or drop me a letter in care of the William Penn Association, 709 Brighton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15233. William Penn Life 0 January 2016 0 7
