Transylvania

His Hungarian relative sent a message to King Charles III

III. Charles

At 7.30 PM Hungarian time on Thursday, Buckingham Palace announced the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Since then, King Charles III has taken the throne. Although not many know about it, the new king has a Hungarian relative who has sent a message to him!

King Charles III fell in love with Transylvania

As borsonline reports, the king visited Transylvania for the first time in 1998, 8 months after the tragic death of Princess Diana. At that time, his distant relative, Count Tibor Kálnoky hosted him in his castle. The idyllic environment had a great impact on Charles, he completely fell in love with the countryside. “We have been regularly hosting him for over 20 years. He has even bought some of the old buildings of our family’s glass hut in Zalánpatak, founded in the 1600s, as a guest house, which we renovated for him.”- said Count Kálnoky earlier. He also said that they both love nature and are fond of simple, rural life.

Hungarian relative King Charles III Count Tibor Kálnoky
Read alsoEverything you should know about King Charles III’s Hungarian relative

The king drank pálinka with the locals

King Charles III loves Transylvania not only for its untouched nature but also because there he is not bothered by the press. Not even Camilla Queen Consort has been to the king’s secret refuge. King Charles III enjoyed meeting residents and even drank pálinka, the famous Hungarian alcohol with them. “He’s a good, upright man. I’ll never forget how he drank pálinka with me. It will be eternal memory for us.” – said Uncle Misi.

Charles III visiting Transylvania
Read alsoVIDEOS: King Charles III visits a small Transylvanian village populated by Hungarians every year

His Hungarian relative sent a message

Tibor Kálnoky’s family, after leaving the aristocratic circles of Western Europe and returning home to Transylvania, runs a tourist business. He also purchases and renovates simple farmhouses, keeping their authentic charm. – writes sokszinuvidek.24.hu. Now, the Hungarian relative has sent a message via borsonline. In addition to expressing his condolences for the loss, he said that he hoped that they would see each other again soon. “We hope that His Highness Charles, as king, will continue to give us the opportunity to greet him with the same respectful familiarity with which we see him crossing our blooming meadows and friendly villages and stopping to talk to the residents of the villages. Long live III. King Charles!” – said the count.

VIDEOS: King Charles III visits a small Transylvanian village populated by Hungarians every year

Charles III visiting Transylvania

Zalánpatak (Valea Zălanuluihad) is a small village in Transylvania, Central Romania. According to the 2011 census in Romania, 134 out of the 139 locals were Hungarians. Charles III, who became the monarch of the United Kingdom yesterday, regularly visits this tiny little village. Although it is a question whether he would preserve that habit of his as a ruler. Below, you may read why he travels every year to Zalánpatak.

King Charles III has always been a regular guest in one of Zalánpatak’s houses. He visited it every year when the pandemic did not baulk his travel. He was there this May for the last time, touring the surrounding fields and walking around the village. We gave a detailed report about that visit in THIS article.

“After three years, I am delighted to be back in this wonderful region,” he said to reporters swarming the village after his arrival.

The Telegraph, a British newspaper, interviewed Count Tibor Kálnoky, a resident, who regularly welcomes Charles about the new king’s regular visits. The count said that Zalánpatak was founded in the 1600s as glass manufacture where experts came from Bavaria. Today, it has only 150 inhabitants. He added that Charles usually comes once a year and stays for a week. When he is not there, his place is open to guests.

“We are open all year long. Every season is wonderful”. In spring, “we have the fantastic flower meadows. And in winter, we have heavy snow, and we have snowshoes. You can go and track wild animals. In the autumn, you have the incredible foliage in yellow, red and green and brown …, so every season is special out here”, Count Kálnoky said about the favourite Hungarian-populated village of the new king.

The house Charles owns in the village once belonged to the settlements administrator. It is a bit more prominent than the others because it is on the hill, overseeing Zalánpatak. But in other ways, it is quite simple, the count explained.

Kálnoky is distantly related to the British royal family. Therefore, he was invited to the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William.

You may watch The Telegraph’s report below:

“This is the last corner of Europe where you see true sustainability and complete resilience”, Charles said in an interview about Transylvania. Locals of Zalánpatak say that Charles revived the village after he bought a house there. “I feel that he likes us and our village. We are very proud”, a local woman explained.

Here you can listen to King Charles’s favourite Hungarian song from 1:50:

Here is a video of his estate:

He bought another estate in Szászfehéregyháza, a nearby village, in 2018 (that is the blue house on our featured image). Hvg.hu wrote that he has never taken his wife with him. But Prince Harry already accompanied him on one of his trips to Transylvania.

Finally, here is a video of his visit in Csernáton:

stuffed cabbage hungary
Read alsoOn this weekend: Székely Festival returns to Budapest after two-year hiatus

A Hungarian airline launches new flights from September!

aeroexpress regional hungarian airline aviation

From 5 September, Aeroexpress Regional, a Hungarian start-up airline, will operate direct flights from Hungary to Transylvania, Romania.

Flights will connect Budapest with Cluj-Napoca and Debrecen with Cluj-Napoca and Targu Mures. The new flights will operate three times a week for a two-month introductory period, during which time passenger feedback will be assessed, napi.hu reports.

According to information on the Aeroexpress Regional website, flights will operate on Monday, Wednesday and Friday until 28 October. The detailed timetable is published on the same website.

The founding shareholder of Aeroexpress Regional is BASe Airlines Zrt., a 100% Hungarian-owned company with 31 years of experience in the market and significant experience in regional aviation in Europe.

The Embraer 120 ER, a Brazilian-built passenger aircraft used by the airline, has been specially developed for the efficient and economical operation of short-haul regional flights, the statement said.

lufthansa
Read alsoHungarian flights also affected by the Lufthansa strike on Friday

Romanian billionaire says he would punch PM Orbán in the head – VIDEO

romanian_billionaire_viktor_orbán_gigi_becali

“If Orbán dares to do something, I will hit him in the head” – Gigi Becali, a Romanian billionaire, said at a press conference this week. Mr Becali is the owner of the FC Steaua București, the Romanian capital’s emblematic football team. Steaua won the UEFA Champions League in 1986. It was the first Eastern European team to do so. At the press conference, he slammed PM Viktor Orbán and the Sepsi OSK, a football team based in Szeklerland’s “capital” Sepsiszentgyörgy. The team’s players are mostly Hungarians.

Controversial property exchange business

According to mandiner.hu, the Romanian billionaire was quoted to say that they held Sepsi “under the guillotine. If I see that the Sepsi OSK is getting stronger, I invest ten million euros” – Becali added. The Romanian businessman acquired his first millions of dollars from a controversial real estate exchange with the Romanian Army in the 1990s. 

The deal consisted of Becali giving the army a 21.5-hectare plot in Ștefăneștii de Jos (about 15 km from Bucharest) in exchange for a 20.9-hectare plot in Băneasa-Pipera, in Northern Bucharest. As the real estate prices skyrocketed in the capital, he sold the land to some companies that built residential areas – Wikipedia writes. With his money, he acquired 51% of the shares of FC Steaua București in 2003.

Sepsi OSK: a Hungarian team?

According to Főtér.ro, the former shepherd and MEP invited the press to his palace to announce the Steaua’s new coach, Nicolae Dică. Furthermore, he slammed the Sepsi OSK, which he thinks is supported by the Hungarian government. By the way, PM Viktor Orbán watched the team’s match with NK Olimpija Ljubljana last week before his speech in Tusványos. The duel’s stake was to advance into the UEFA Europa Conference League, and the Sepsi OSK won 3-1.

The Sepsi OSK is regarded as Hungarian since most of its players are Hungarians. Moreover, its base is in Sepsiszentgyörgy, a city in Central Romania populated 77% by Hungarians. The team won the Romanian Cup and the Supercup this year.

“If Orbán dares to do anything, I will hit him in the head. Paff, down with Sepsi!”

Becali slammed Orbán and the football team hard at the press conference:

  •  If the Sepsi OSK advances to Liga 1, he will invest 10 million euros to stop further successes.
  • “I do not let the Hungarians go to the FCSB [Steaua Bucharest]. They will never play in a Romanian team.”
  • “If Orbán dares to do anything, I will hit him in the head. Paff, down with Sepsi!”
  • “We hold Sepsi under the guillotine. If I see that the Sepsi OSK gets stronger, I will invest 10 million euros.“
  • “We will destroy everything in connection with the Sepsi OSK. I will only invest money in football if Sepsi ascends. I will not let [them] win the Romanian championships.“
  • “We have to keep Orbán at the end of the line. I will only go to the tribune if the Sepsi OSK gets stronger with Orbán. I guarantee that the Sepsi OSK will not raise its head. If the Sepsi or the Csíkszereda [another Hungarian city and its football team in Central Romania] raised their heads, I would invest a lot of money.”

If you understand Romanian, you can listen to Becali’s press conference below:

Tusványos to be held again after two years, Orbán to attend

tusványos bálványos

The large intellectual meeting of the Carpathian Basin dubbed Tusványos is a “unique workshop for national cohesion and the nation’s will to survive”, the head of parliament’s foreign affairs committee said on Tuesday.

Zsolt Németh told a press conference on the 31st Bálványos Free Summer University and Student Camp, to be held in Baile Tusnad (Tusnádfürdő) in central Romania between July 19 and 24, that up to 60,000 visitors were expected to attend. The meeting will feature around 400 events in 27 tents, he said.

Németh said Tusvanyos was a workshop for national identity and sovereignty and viewed as a platform for building alliances. Lasting alliances can only be built on a firm set of values, he added.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has accepted an invitation to Tusványos, as well as Lászlo Tőkés, head of the Hungarian National Council of Transylvania, Németh said.

Tusványos-summer-university-PM-Orbán
Read alsoOrbán: The point of illiberal politics was Christian freedom

Deputy Prime Minister of Romania and president of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania Hunor Kelemen will exchange views with Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga, he added. A roundtable of party politicians will also be held, with the participation of Zsolt Molnár of the opposition Socialists, László Lóránt Keresztes of opposition LMP, Lőrinc Nacsa of the co-ruling Christian Democrats, and Máté Kocsis of ruling Fidesz, he said.

Many participants from the sporting world are expected to attend, including Marco Rossi, the captain of the Hungarian national football team, as well as Oszkár Világi (DAC), László Diószegi (Sepsi OSK) and Ferenc Zsemberi (Topolya), the owners of football clubs.

On this year’s main stage, the Petőfi stage, Transylvanium, Nagy Feró and Beatrice, Tankcsapda, Margaret Island, Kowalsky meg a Vega, Aurevoir, Bagossy Brothers Company, 4S Street, Blahalouisiana, Szabó Balázs Bandája and Honeybeast will also perform.

More information and official page here.

 

On this weekend: Székely Festival returns to Budapest after two-year hiatus

stuffed cabbage hungary

The Székely Festival dedicated to Szekler gastronomy, handcrafts and music will return to Budapest after a two-year hiatus from Friday to Sunday, Finance Minister Mihály Varga said.

Varga told a presser on Monday that the event strengthened economic cooperation between Szeklerland and Hungary, with some 150 Transylvanian businesses getting a chance to present themselves in Budapest’s Millenáris Park.

Following a two-year hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic, visitors can once again experience Szekler hospitality and learn about the treasures of Szeklerland, Varga said.

The revival of person-to-person ties is much needed after the pandemic, he added, noting that Tusványos, a large intellectual meeting of the Carpathian Basin, is scheduled to be held between July 19 and 24 this year.

Building links between Hungarians in the mother country and ethnic Hungarians abroad is important for the government, which has provided some 200 billion forints in support for economic development in the Carpathian Basin, helping some 3,500 companies, he added.

Ethnic Hungarian businesses abroad contribute to strengthening Hungary’s economy and vice versa, he said. “The markets of production and consumption must be interlinked in the Carpathian Basin,” he added.

stuffed cabbage hungary
Read alsoOn this weekend: Székely Festival returns to Budapest after two-year hiatus

Why do hundreds of thousands of Hungarians go to Csíksomlyó on Pentecost?

csíksomlyó pilgrimage búcsú

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people gather in Csíksomlyó (Şumuleu Ciuc) in Transylvania. But what is the reason for that? Read our article to learn about the history and significance of the pilgrimage (búcsú) in Csíksomlyó.

Why do so many people pilgrimage to Csíksomlyó?

csíksomlyó pilgrimage búcsú
Csíksomlyó, 4 June 2022. Source: MTI/Veres Nándor

To this day, the Pentecost Pilgrimage to Csíksomlyó is one of the most important religious events in the history of all Hungarians. Every year, on Pentecost, Hungarian Catholic and Christian believers pilgrimage to Csíksomlyó, Transylvania, in the presence of hundreds of thousands of participants.

According to the faithful, the followers of the Roman Catholic Church can receive a full absolution at Csíksomlyó.

The believer who confesses their sins and repents, visits the shrine in the graceful state of the sacrament of confession and listens to the Holy Mass there, receives a full remission of the punishments remaining after the forgiveness of all their sins.

History

csíksomlyó pilgrimage búcsú
György Udvardy, Archbishop of Veszprém, solemn speaker at the Holy Mass in Csíksomlyó, 4 June 2022.
Source: MTI/Veres Nándor

According to karpateuropa.hu, the Church and Monastery of St. Mary in Csíksomlyó is one of the greatest pilgrimage sites and cultural and historical monuments of Hungarians. The most valuable part of the church is the statue of the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus.

Its history dates back to 1444, when Pope Eugene IV sent a circular letter to the faithful urging them to help the Franciscan order build a church.

Csíksomlyó
Csíksomlyó. Photo: MTI/Nándor Veres

In return for their help, he allowed them to hold a pilgrimage (búcsú).

The Pope also mentioned in the letter that large crowds of faithful used to gather for devotions and to venerate Mary. The Szekler people’s veneration of Mary goes back a long way, the ‘Lady dressed in the Sun’ being the main patroness of the people and the object of their prayers since the advent of Christianity.

Csíksomlyó and the Pilgrimage since Trianon

csíksomlyó pilgrimage búcsú
Participants of the Pentecost horse pilgrimage in the mountain range of Csíksomlyó on 3 June 2022. Source: MTI/Veres Nándor

Csíksomlyó became a true place of pilgrimage after the Peace Treaty of Trianon. From that time on, the statue symbolized not only the faith in God, but also the survival and the unity of Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin.

Csíksomlyó
June 3 2022 – train departing to Csíksomlyó. Photo:
MTI/Zoltán Balogh

In 2022, on 4 June, the Saturday before Pentecost Sunday, the Pilgrimage to Csíksomlyó was held, which this year coincided with the Day of National Unity.

4 June marked the 102nd anniversary of the signing of the Peace Treaty of Trianon, which resulted in Hungary losing two-thirds of its territory, and some 3.3 million Hungarians stuck outside the borders of the new Hungarian state.

Motto

csíksomlyó pilgrimage búcsú
Source: MTI/Veres Nándor

Every year, the pilgrimage has a motto. The 2005 pilgrimage motto was “Stay with us, Lord!”, the motto of the pilgrimage of 2010 was “Help us now, Mary”, and this year’s was

“Pax et bonum: Peace and goodness!”.

Hungary Trianon map
Read alsoHungary lost 2/3rd of its territory 102 years ago: was it inevitable?

Day of National Cohesion: Several programmes will be organised in Hungary and beyond the borders

Csíksomlyó Pentecost Szeklerland

Several programmes will be organised in Hungary and beyond the borders to mark the Day of National Cohesion, the anniversary of the Trianon peace treaty concluding WWI, on June 4, the state secretary in charge of policies for Hungarian communities abroad in the Prime Minister’s Office said on Monday.

National Cohesion Day this year will coincide with Pentecost, a traditional date of pilgrimage of Hungarians to Sumuleu Ciuc (Csíksomlyó), in central Romania, Árpád Janos Potápi told a press conference.

Prayer messages by Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin and in the diaspora who cannot attend will be delivered to the pilgrimage site with the Pentecostal horse-ride held for the fifth time, he said.

The motto of this year’s Csiksomlyó pilgrimage is “Pax et Bonum”, Potápi said, referring to the war in Ukraine.

Hungary’s parliament declared June 4 the Day of National Cohesion by Hungary’s in May 2010 to mark the anniversary of the Trianon treaty signed on this day in 1920, Potápi noted, adding that with the law the parliament reaffirmed Hungary’s commitment towards maintaining and nurturing relations between the members of the Hungarian nation and Hungarian communities.

“Despite of all the hardships of the past 100 years, we are here, we have survived,” he said.

Read alsoCsíksomlyó pilgrimage 2019 – Photo gallery

Prince Charles is in this Szekler village in Transylvania – PHOTOS

Prince-Charles-in-Transylvania Hungarian village

Zalánpatak (Valea Zălanuluihad) had an unexpected guest today. Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, had quite a busy day in the quaint Szekler village. Receiving guests, touring the surrounding fields, and walking around the village were only a couple of things on his schedule. He even made a toast in the barn of his new house. Read below for more.

The Prince of Wales arrived

Since early in the morning, TV reporters have been swarming the yard of a house in Zalánpatak. They are keeping an attentive eye on what is happening in house number 1, reports Háromszék.

Suddenly, one of them spotted the Prince of Wales himself, casually walking down the porch.

Prince-Charles-in-Transylvania Hungarian village
Photo MTI/Edit Kátai – The Prince of Wales greeting the locals

Not only that, but around the barn, workers were pitching tents, and women were setting up tables. These preparations only lasted a short while. The member of the British royal family kindly asked the TV and press to move aside – preferably to a place where they are hard to see. This is because Prince Charles and his guests were preparing to dine, which requires utmost privacy. The head of the British guards promised something in return. If the press left Prince Charles alone for a while, they would have ample time to take pictures of him around the village. Around 2 pm, he and his guests took a stroll around the settlement.

The following two hours were quiet but full of suspense. Only the arrival of new guests was causing a commotion. Soon, Countess Anna Kálnoky appeared at the gate, accompanied by her son and some close acquaintances. At the time previously promised, the royalty set off on their tour around Zalánpatak. The Prince of Wales, accompanied by Count Tibor Kálnoky, came out through the gate of the house.

Prince Charles refused to talk to the press, but he did quickly answer a couple of questions: “After three years, I am delighted to be back in this wonderful region,” Prince Charles commented.

Prince-Charles-in-Transylvania Hungarian village
Prince Charles in Transylvania. Photo: MTI/Edit Kátai

Why is Prince Charles visiting?

A press member from the above source managed to gather a bit of information. The locals shared the information they had. Prince Charles bought a new house and a parcel of land by the edge of the village. Something is going to happen there, locals added. The Prince of Wales is already the owner of private property around the settlement, as an article by Travel to Transylvania mentions.

The new site was easy to spot. An imposing barn stood there, open from both sides. Inside were tables, already set. A cheerful group of people soon entered, but the press had to leave yet again. As this was a private property, they could not stay. Following this, joyful laughter and the sound of clinking glasses could be heard outside.

After twenty minutes or so, the group left for their outing. At this point, more photos could be shot: the guests trekked through bushes and streams to continue their excursion in the meadows.

Their walk lasted almost two hours, and when they arrived at the ducal estate, Prince Charles had this to say: “How come you’re still here?”

Prince-Charles-in-Transylvania Hungarian village
Photo MTI/Edit Kátai – Prince Charles himself and his company together on an outing

The distinguished guest is visiting Sasfehéregyháza and the surrounding area later today.

President: ties between motherland, Hungarians outside of borders ‘inseverable’

President Katalin Novák in Transylvania, Romania

President Katalin Novák said the ties between the motherland and Hungarians living outside of the country’s borders are “inseverable”, speaking at the unveiling of a statue of Gábor Bethlen, the prince of Transylvania in its golden age, in Alba Iulia (Gyulafehérvár) on Saturday.

“We will never sever the umbilical cord between the motherland and the Hungarians torn away, and we will never let it be severed,” Novák said. “Gábor Bethlen and the golden age of Transylvania will not be let go, so too we will not let go of each other,” she added.

Novák said that Hungarians living in Transylvania can play a role in Romania’s advancement if they preserve their identity.

More foreign leaders congratulate Orbán on re-election

The prime ministers of Belgium, Malta, the Czech Republic and Romania, and the president of Serbia have congratulated Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on his re-election, the PM’s press chief said on Saturday. Alexander de Croo pointed to further opportunities to develop bilateral ties between Hungary and Belgium. He noted that the sides would need to work together when Hungary takes over from Belgium the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2024.

Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela stressed the importance of continued cooperation in the European Council based on “shared priorities and interests”.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala welcomed Hungary’s solidarity with Europe on the matter of Ukraine and acknowledged that the war has made the issue of energy security “among the most important challenges” facing Europe.

Nicolae Ciuca, the prime minister of Romania, highlighted the importance of deepening cooperation within NATO and the EU.

Aleksandar Vucic said in his congratulatory letter that Serbia and Hungary would “continue to fight for the shared values and interests of their citizens”.

Hungarian ice hockey fans Romania
Read alsoRomanian and Hungarian ice hockey players sang together the Szekler national anthem!

Is a serious Hungarian-Romanian diplomatic conflict on the horizon?!

Katalin Novák, the new president of Hungary, is on a private visit to Transylvania. She stated that, as the president, she considers it her priority to represent all Hungarians. This is why the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs became enraged. Below, you can read more details.

“Today, I met Hunor Kelemen, the President of RMDSZ, the deputy prime minister of Romania. As the President of Hungary, I consider it my priority to represent all Hungarians, as it makes no difference to me whether someone lives inside the border or across it. Hungarians are Hungarians, period,” she wrote on her Facebook page yesterday morning after a meeting with Hunor Kelemen, Romania’s deputy prime minister and chairman of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ). 

Katalin Novák and Hunor Kelemen. Photo: MTI

The Romanian foreign ministry said that Hungary could not represent the Hungarians living abroad. They can strengthen cultural ties with Hungarians who live in Romania, Slovakia or Ukraine. According to infostart.hu, the ministry issued a statement yesterday evening, and one of the ministry’s secretaries raised a formal objection to the Hungarian ambassador in Bucharest. They believe that no state can represent the citizens of other states. They referred to some international regulations issued by the Venice Commission and the OSCE, the Hungarian-Romanian treaty of understanding, cooperation, and good neighbourly relations signed in 1996, and the Declaration on the Strategic Partnership between the Governments of Romania and the Republic of Hungary for the 21st Century Europe (2001). 

Romania would like to maintain a pragmatic relationship with Hungary, in favour of the Hungarian citizens, regardless of their ethnic background, the Romanian foreign ministry added.

Hungarian president: ‘Building community starts with building churches’

Katalin Novák, Hungary’s new president, said in Lopadea Noua (Magyarlapád), in central Romania, that ten churches were consecrated in ten locations in Transylvania on Friday. “It is no coincidence that when there is war and ideological destruction, churches are the first to be destroyed because churches are the places where communities start to form,” she said. “We are building and upgrading churches across the Carpathian Basin because this is how we start strengthening our communities,” she added.

The president noted that Lopadea Noua was established in the year 1030 and was registered as the property of Queen Gisela, the wife of St. Stephen, Hungary’s first king.

“By dedicating ten churches today, we are also sending the message that we will be here after a thousand years, among brothers and sisters, addressing one another in Hungarian,” she said.

The consecration marked the Hungarian Reformed Church Unity Day, which is celebrated on May 20 each year. Earlier on Friday, Novak met Hunor Kelemen, Romania’s deputy prime minister, in Cluj-Napoca (Kolozsvár). In Aiud (Nagyenyed), she met Transylvanian Reformed Bishop Béla Kató.

Read alsoBudapest attractions whose twins you can find abroad – PHOTOS

Transylvania complex at open-air ethnography museum was opened

Szentendre museum

“Our Hungarian culture, our shared history and culture are an umbilical cord connecting Transylvania to Hungary,” President Katalin Novák said at the opening ceremony of a complex of Transylvanian buildings at the open-air ethnography museum of Szentendre, north of Budapest, on Thursday.

Transylvania’s Hungarian culture is “not a thing of the past but a part of our present and key for our future”, the president said, adding that “Hungary would not be the same without Transylvania”.

Novák said she was about to leave for Romania and visit Transylvanian cities in the next few days. She said the government’s efforts “to develop the nation and strengthen the national identity” in the past 12 years made more and more people “set off and see for themselves that the nation reaches beyond the country’s borders”.

Novák called for efforts in the next decades to

“preserve our shared heritage, culture, our Hungarian language, because all that makes up the ties to our homeland”.

The new complex presents six buildings from a small town in Transylvania, five peasant houses from a village, a church, a school and a community building.

PM Viktor Orbán
Read alsoPM Viktor Orbán: “2024 is a decisive year”

Government: Education in mother tongue must be guaranteed to all Hungarians in Carpathian Basin

Hungarian children school

The government aims to ensure that every Hungarian child in the Carpathian Basin should have access to kindergarten care or school education in the mother tongue, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Satu Mare (Máréfalva) in Transylvania on Friday.

“An important message of the parliamentary election and referendum in April was that our children should be protected from extremist liberal gender propaganda and we should not allow NGOs to confuse their thoughts,” Szijjártó said at the groundbreaking ceremony of a kindergarten.

He said it was “fantastic news” that the community of ethnic Hungarians was constantly growing and they needed a new kindergarten, which, he added, was a testament to the success of the

Hungarian government’s scheme to develop kindergartens throughout the Carpathian Basin.

Szijjártó said good progress was being made but allies were needed for success. The historic churches have been fulfilling this role in Transylvania, with their institutions acting as “pledges to the survival of the nation”.

The government is contributing 220 million forints (EUR 570,000) to the 400 million forint development started in Satu Mare,

he said. The kindergarten will be owned by the local church and run by the local council, he said. Fully eighty children will receive language training and kindergarten care in the mother tongue, he added.

Szijjártó said that in the April general election, a record number of ethnic Hungarians living beyond the borders cast their votes, proving that the mother country could rely on these communities and vice-versa. This confirms the principle that

“every Hungarian is responsible for every other Hungarian,”

he said.

Katalin Szili government commissioner
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Romanian and Hungarian ice hockey players sang together the Szekler national anthem!

Hungarian ice hockey fans Romania

Romanian and Hungarian ice hockey players sang together the Szekler national anthem with the fans following the Hungary-Romania match on Sunday. The Romanian political elite reacted with outrage, saying that Romanian players – 90 pc of whom are Szekler Hungarians – humiliated Romania. They added that players were not worthy of wearing the red-yellow-blue jersey.

Intolerable provocation?

Last Sunday, the Hungarian and Romanian national teams met in the Division 1/A Ice Hockey World Championships in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Following the match, the Hungarian players of the two teams sang together the Szekler national anthem with the fans – Helló Magyar reported.

Marcel Ciolacu, Chairman of the Socialist Party (PSD), said that what happened is

an unacceptable provocation

in the light of the Ukrainian war. He added that the matter will be discussed in the governing coalition of which the Hungarian RMDSZ party is also a member. “These exaggerations have no place in Romania after 30 years of democracy. Everybody has to understand that Romania and Europe entered another era. During war times, such provocations are intolerable” – Ciolacu referred to the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine.

The president of the House of Representatives said they always showed respect towards the Hungarian RMDSZ party and the local minorities. However, such events that happened after the match cannot occur again.

Romania’s symbols are saints

Adrian Cozma, Vice-Chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL), asked Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca to dismiss Barna Tánczos (RMDSZ), Romania’s Minister of Environment, Water and Forests. The Romanian press wrote that he was sitting in the Hungarian sector during the match. Tánczos, a former president of the Romanian Ice Hockey Association, said on Facebook that many Romanian fans were sitting in the Hungarian fan sector. A Romanian family wore the Romanian national colours just a couple of metres away from his seat. Tánczos wore the jersey of the Csíkszereda ice hockey club. Most players of the national team play in that club, he added.

Cozma said that singing the Szekler national anthem was an appalling act. He added that Romanian players humiliated Romania and Tánczos supported that with his presence. “Romania’s symbols are saints for every Romanian regardless of their nationality. Those not respecting the symbols cannot be members of the Romanian Government” – he stressed.

Minister and ice hockey players in trouble?

Social democrat Transport Minister, Sorin Grindeanu, called the incident a shameful attack on the country’s identity. He asked Sports Minister Eduárd Novák (RMDSZ) to punish the players. “Those not respecting Romania should not wear the red-yellow-blue”, he fumed on social media.

Hunor Kelemen, RMDSZ Chairman, said that his party was proud of the Romanian ice hockey team since they made it to the world championships. He added that 90 pc of the team consists of Hungarian players. Nobody should be punished groundlessly. “Our solidarity is with those unfairly attacked” – he highlighted. 

Botond Csoma, leader of RMDSZ’s parliamentary group, gave a speech on the issue in the House of Representatives. He called the Szekler national anthem a value for the Hungarians living in Romania and that it should not offend the country or the Romanians. “There are a lot of regional identities in the country, like the Szekler. But this makes us stronger as a community and as a state, too”, he added.

The ice hockey match finished with the Hungarian team’s 4-2 victory. However, nothing was at stake for the teams. The Romanian team finished the tournament in fifth place, so it became clear that they would continue in Division I/B. Meanwhile, the Hungarian team finished second. Thus, they will play in the world elite next year.

 

Unitarian fortified church of Nagyajta
Read alsoHave you seen the beautifully renewed fortified church of Nagyajta? – PHOTOS

Hungarian autonomy commissioner to Romanians: “don’t believe your politicians!”

Katalin Szili government commissioner

Integration of the Transylvanian Hungarian community into the Romania mainstream, in the absence of collective rights, would only amount to assimilation, Katalin Szili, the prime ministerial commissioner for the coordination of tasks related to the aspirations of autonomy in the Carpathian Basin, said in Sfantu Gheorghe (Sepsiszentgyörgy) on Saturday, at the opening session of the Hungarian National Council in Transylvania.

After conveying thanks from Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén and Árpád János Potápi, the state secretary for Hungarian communities abroad, Szili said the Hungarian nation had never been as strong, united or determined in obtaining guarantees of its security and prosperity as it was now, and she thanked the council for its firm commitment to autonomy.

“Let me send a message to the Romanian mainstream: don’t believe your politicians.

Our aspirations are not about breaking anything apart but rather, based on the principle of European subsidiarity, about becoming a community that can forge its own destiny,” she said. “We need dialogue to ensure common understanding that this is all about a community’s survival, its future, and the identity of our children and grandchildren.”

Read alsoSzekler anthem to become the latest Hungaricum?

Hungarian foreign ministry slams Romania top court decision on Targu Mures secondary school

Rakoczi II secondary school marosvásárhely targu mures

A decision by Romania’s supreme court which paves the way for the closure of the Ferenc Rákóczi II Catholic Secondary School in Targu Mures (Marosvásárhely) is appalling, the foreign ministry state secretary for communications said on Wednesday.

Tamás Menczer said on Facebook that “in the 21st century, schools should be opened instead of closed”.

He said

Hungary expected the Romanian authorities to make urgent arrangements that ensure the future operation of the school.

In order to facilitate a solution, the foreign ministry maintains continuous contact with the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania which is a member of the ruling coalition, he added.

He expressed hope that

the issue will be soon settled and will not burden in the long term Hungary-Romania relations.

The Romanian supreme court passed a ruling on Tuesday in a lawsuit initiated by Romanian nationalist organisations.

As we wrote before, Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, in a message marking Hungary’s March 15 national holiday, said his government respected the identity and values of ethnic Hungarians in his country. Details HERE.

Romania Hungarians to declare nationality in census, says RMDSZ

rmdsz

Hunor Kelemen, head of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ), called on Hungarians to participate in Romania’s ongoing census, saying that “if the Romanian state sees Hungarians in Romania as a robust community, it will have a different approach to them”, in Budapest on Monday.

Speaking to public news channel M1, Kelemen noted that in the previous census ten years ago, 1,260,000 respondents had declared themselves Hungarian. This year’s census results will determine the public policy decisions towards ethnic communities for the next ten years, including language use, education in the mother tongue and the level of state support, he said.

“It is most important that the Romanian state should see us as a strong community as much as we should also see ourselves as a strong community,” the RMDSZ leader said.

He called for filling out the questionnaire online by May 16 and answering every question including the ones on ethnic and religious identity.

Read more news about Transylvania and Romania

Easter Monday: the tradition of sprinkling among Hungarians – Photos, VIDEO

Sprinkling in Hungary

The preservation of tradition only makes every nation stronger, and this is also true of Hungary. This is especially true when it comes to carrying on a folk tradition so spectacular that our young people are admired all over the world. And as long as our traditions are alive, the Hungarian nation is alive, both at Hungary and abroad. 

Interestingly, the Easter Monday celebration has no particular significance in the Christian church. The most popular folk custom associated with this day is watering:

In the old days, girls were taken to a well or trough in the countryside and doused with buckets, which had fertility charms and also referred to the purifying properties of water.

This tradition is still kept to this day by Hungarians, and men who nowadays prefer to throw cologne or soda water bottles are given red or creamed eggs by the girls for watering, but they also receive a hearty treat for visiting friends, relatives, and neighbours.

In many countries, Easter egg decorating has become an established tradition, and Hungary is at the forefront of this too.

Nyíregyháza:

Szeklerland:

Győr, Ménfőcsanak:

If you can’t imagine it, here is a video: