Hungarian folk tradition on the verge of extinction
The celebration of Easter in Hungary also brought the watering of girls. This folk tradition is present in every Hungarian’s life, whether boy or girl. However, it may slowly disappear.
During the Easter sprinkling, Hungarian boys visit their girl friends, recite poems, and pour water on the girls. In return, they get painted eggs or candy from the girls. This old tradition is one of the most famous Hungarian Easter traditions, the origin of which you can read more about here.
During Easter 2020, the coronavirus pandemic was present across Europe. Because of this, everyone stayed at home, and the news took the place of watering the girls.
This year, according to the law, a small number of people can cultivate the tradition by following the epidemiological measures.
Based on the results of a survey, fewer and fewer people seem to be interested anyway. Index.hu reports that half of Hungarian women usually expect 1-5 people every year. What is even more surprising is that a third of women do not have any people coming to sprinkle at all. Significant differences can be observed between large cities and the countryside. In cities, fewer people are interested in Easter watering than in the countryside. Budapest performed the worst in this aspect. Differences were found not only by residence but also by age. Middle-age men are the least likely to water the women at Easter.
The tradition of watering is most popular among those under 18 years of age.
It is a huge experience and adventure for this age group. This tradition is an unmissable part of Easter. Although the virus situation does not allow it now, in the past, it often happened in groups, with boys visiting their classmates together. Girls also have this community experience.
An important question is what kind of watering poem the boys have. There are shorter, funnier poems, and there are longer, romantic poems as well. There are boys who learn a new poem every year, while others use the same one over and over again. In the age of the internet, it is easy to find new poems. Here you can find some watering poems in English.
Although the epidemic situation is changing our old habits, hopefully, the Hungarian Easter traditions will stay with us for a long time. Easter meals, egg painting, and watering the girls together make Easter special in Hungary.
Source: index.hu
