Why 22 January is so important for Hungarians?

(MTI) – The main attraction of the Hungarian Culture Days will be the Hungarian National Anthem (Himnusz). On its 194th birthday, several cultural programmes are awaiting visitors all over the country.

The Hungarian culture has been celebrated since 1989 on 22 January. According to Ferenc Kölcsey famous Hungarian poet’s manuscript, he finished Himnusz this day in 1823, Magyar Kurír writes. The poem was first published with the title From the stormy centuries of the Hungarian people in Károly Kisfaludy’s Aurora. With the title Himnusz, it was published in 1832 in Kölcsey’s first volume. It is interesting to note that Kölcsey’s manuscript notebook containing Himnusz disappeared in the late 1830s, and when it was found more than a hundred years later, it became the possession of the National Széchenyi Library in 1946.

The manuscript of “Himnusz”

The musical setting of Himnusz was composed by Ferenc Erkel Hungarian romantic composer. The original pace is faster than how it is played and sang today, but nowadays there are attempts to gradually get back to the original one, Magyar Kurír adds.

The sheet music of “Himnusz”

On the occasion of Hungarian Culture Days, the original sheet music and manuscript can be first seen in history on 20 and 21 January in Gyula, Magyar Kurír reports. The Deputy Major of the town told that the exhibition of the sheet music and manuscript is the result of a one-year organization work, the support of Deputy State Secretary for Cultural Policy of the Ministry of Human Resources, and the approval of National Széchenyi Library. Normally, these national relics are not available for the general public.

A commemoration – organized by the Kölcsey Association, the Local government of Szatmárcseke and the Government Office for SzaboIcs-Szatrnár Bereg County – on the Hungarian national anthem and Ferenc Kölcsey will be held in Szatmárcseke, too, where the author of Himnusz rests. It begins with a service in the local reformed church. After that, the Kölcsey memorial plaques are given to the representatives of the Hungarian artistic community who greatly contributed with their activities to the enrichment of the Hungarian and general culture. This is followed by the wreath-laying ceremony at Ferenc Kölcsey’s tomb.

On the occasion of the Hungarian Culture Day, other interesting cultural programmes attract visitors in other beautiful Hungarian towns, and also in the capital. In Veszprém, for example, the film titled The Hungarian Holy Crown and Coronary Jewels will be introduced. In the Petőfi Theatre of Veszprém, Mattie the Goose-boy written by Mihály Fazekas and The Shivering King written by Ferenc Móra will be on stage, MTI told. In Budapest, there will be an interesting guided tour in Petőfi Literary Museum about the most famous Hungarian poets’ everyday life, including what they ate, how could they got by and how they wrote about this. On Sunday, the exhibitions of the National Széchenyi Library can be visited for free, NOL.hu reports.

Other amusing programmes including concerts, dance shows and exhibitions are waiting for visitors throughout the country.

Photos: Facebook/Énekeld a Himnuszt; Szatmárcseke.hu

Copy editor: bm

Source: Magyar Kurír, MTI, NOL.hu