Easter is a two-day holiday in Hungary, celebrated with great fanfare and
religious fervor. The holidays are enjoyed to the fullest by the Hungarians.
People celebrate the occasion by following customs that are native to their
homeland. A number of interesting folk customs are still alive in the European
country, which make the festivities colorful. Out of the customs, sprinkling
perfumed water and egg-painting are very popular and are followed even today. Go
through the following lines to know all about the celebrations of Easter in
Hungary and various customs followed for the same.
Easter Celebration In Hungary
Midnight Resurrection Ceremonies
Easter in Hungary is observed in accordance with the rituals of the Eastern
Orthodox Church. On Holy Saturday, worshippers congregate in the church for
midnight resurrection ceremonies. There, the devotees sing Easter songs, chant
hymns in the praise of Lord Jesus Christ and admire the sacrifice done by him,
for humanity. After the church service is over, people carry a statue of Christ
and religious banners and gather to form a procession, which passes through the
parish. Chanting of hymns can be heard in the procession.
Lent
The Hungarians regard 'Lent' as the Great Fast for Easter. Since meat is
forbidden during Lent, the day before Ash Wednesday is called 'húshagyó kedd',
which means 'meat abandoning Tuesday'. On Holy Saturday, what is known as 'Nagyszombat'
in Hungary, people take food baskets filled with kalács, red eggs and salt to
the church, to be blessed by the clergyman. The blessed food is then eaten by
the devotes, right after the resurrection ceremonies culminate.
Ducking Monday
Sprinkling, the very popular custom of Easter in Hungary, is observed on Easter
Monday, which is also known as 'Ducking Monday'. On the day, boys playfully
sprinkle perfume or perfumed water on girls. Until some time back, young men
used to pour buckets of water over young women's heads. In the present time,
they spray perfume, cologne or just plain water, and then ask for a kiss and a
red egg. This is a very interesting tradition of Easter in Hungary, followed
since a long time.
Busojaras
The most spectacular of the Eastertide folk-festivals is the so called 'busojaras'
(walk of the busos, legendary monsters), in the Mohacs district. Men wearing
frightening devil masks parade through their village, shouting and making
rhythmic sound with the help of old tins and dishes. According to the legends,
the locals once managed to scare away the invading Turks by wearing awful
looking monster masks. Hence, it has evolved as a very popular custom of Easter
in Hungary.
Egg Painting
Easter eggs are beautifully decorated in Hungary, for the ceremonious occasion.
The traditional methods of painting the eggs are still followed by people in the
country. The patterns range from simple to intricate, and make the egg look very
attractive. The folk patterns are drawn on the eggs by using molten wax. Eggs
are also painted. The painting liquid is traditionally made from onion skin,
green walnut, wild pear or any other vegetable that yield natural color.
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