Hungarian customs,
Hungarian national clothing
Hungarian national clothing
Shirts
The old Hungarians liked
the long shirt, but this was
replaced by the short shirt,
and remained at the Csángó
culture only. In some areas,
the girls’ shirts left the
breasts, the stomach and
the back open; which were
covered by a linen belt.
There are places where a
linen jacket substitutes the
female shirt.
Skirts
The skirts were developed
from aprons. In certain
regions the women and
the men wore aprons.
Elsewhere it was only the
women that wore aprons.
Pants
The pants were sewed with the
same cut in the whole country.
The everyday pants were made
of a rougher substance, and
they were narrower than the
festive ones. In winter the pants
turned into an underwear, and
this method helped by not
having to always make new
clothing. The shepherds used
greasy pants for the dirty work.
The soldiers and the pandour
wore a blue uniform, which had
a big effect on the plain
shepherds', park-keepers',
servants' behaviour.
Moustache
The men were proud of their
moustaches, and they
cultivated it carefully, which
were sheared with scissors.
The pointed moustache was
worn by noblemen and
soldiers, until the common
also took a liking to this style.
(This style of facial hair was
banned at the end of the 18.
century. In the second part of
the 19. century the twirled
moustache became
widespread, and it was liked
and worn on the Alföld mostly.
It was brushed to have a
pointed end.)
Hair-do
The length of the hair-do
changed many times in men’s
appeareance. For example,
the Hungarian conquerors
regularly had short cut hair,
but after the uptake of
Christianity the Hungarian
men grew their hair. The hair
was usually braided, and tied
into a knot. The cutting of the
hair according to some
peoples’ beliefs meant the
mutiltation of a man.
The women traditionally
had long hair. The only
reason they cut their hair,
was out of punishment. To
the amplification of the
bonnet in some areas it
was a habit to cut a part
of the woman's hair off.
Only the girls could wear
their hair entailed and let
out. Their hair was often
braided; the braid or
braids were decorated
with ribbons.The women
pinned their hair up
compulsorily, or it was
wrapped in a bundle.
Regölés:
The winter singing, which is a
folk custom, occurs on the
Dunántúl mostly. This custom
dates from the day after
Christmas, until the sixth of
January. The minstrels
(generally young lads) roam the
village, and sing regös songs at
all the houses, and receive gifts
in exchange. The singing
presumably originates and
dates back to Hungarian
prehistory. The refrain of the
regös songs (hey regö I hide it),
may originate from the ProtoHungarian shamans' spell,
which they repeated while
meditating.
The burning of Kiszebáb
It’s chasing away the cold
winter. We revived an old
tradition by burning the
puppet, which has magic
power.It chases away the
winter. We prepared the
puppet, and the children
brought straw and polenta
husks. They made a fire for us
on the school yard. We
explained, that this is an old
custom, which we will conjure
jointly now.
We used these tools and instruments:
rattles, whistles, drums, and noise
making objects. Although we had all
these devices, the biggest and most
effective noise was the children’s, and
our voices. We sang, since this was
what put an end to the carnival
officially, and then the fast began.
We enjoyed it very much. It was an
unforgettable experience. The snow
was melting earlier this year, so we
omitted the part which received a big
success last year: we wished something,
and then jumped over a heap of
embers. Lots of people said that their
last year's wish was fulfilled.
Later that afternoon the sun came out.
We succeeded. We chased away the
winter.
Easter habits in Hungary
The celebration of Easter in
many ways, is connected to
the arrival of Spring the
renewal, fertility is associated
with folk custom treasure.
These folk customs do not
infiltrate the festive rites of
the Christian religion largely,
but coexist parallel with
them. The ’villagecommunities' festive habits
remained as well. The period
before Easter, is an
entertainment of an
antecedent carnival period
that celebrates the defeat of
the winter, the arrival of the
spring.
The giving of the Easter egg
happens on Monday in many
countries, In Hungary, it
happens on the same day as
the Easter watering. The
eating of the traditional ham
starts already on Saturday
evening, at the sealing of the
fast. On Easter Sunday
besides the ham and eggs,
horseradish is served. The
festive food of this day is
lamb.
In some regions of Hungary, Easter Monday is the day when
the watering takes place. In old times, the girls were dragged
to the well, were doused with water, or were taken to the
brook, and were soaked. The watering, the ancient ritual of
fertility is rooted in the rite of conjuring and cleansing. The
cleansing strength of the water as also found in Christianity is
attached to baptism.