Articles by Initial Letters

Székely Traditions – Part 6. The inspiration for this college diploma project towards a degree in the department of education, sociology, and Rom language at Apor Catholic College in Hungary – has been this student’s desire to explore her own Székely heritage. Part 6 continues with her survey of Transylvanian Székely customs related to: Whitsuntide (Pentecost), Corpus Christi (second Thursday after Pentecost), and significant namedays of the summer season celebrated particularly in the region: June 8 – Medárd nameday, June 13 – Szent Antal of Padua day, June 24 – Saint John the Baptist’s day, June 29 – Péter-Pál nameday, July 2 – Visitation of Our Lady, July 20 – Illés nameday, July 26 – Anna nameday, August 15 – Feast of the Assumption, August 20 – Saint Stephen’s day. She lists customs according to the particular village they were practiced in. Also described here is the custom of the "kaláka” or communal work party for harvest, barn raisings, and soon, that were organized when a task was too large to handle within the family. The work was always reciprocated. These customs are/were all part of a traditional rural village life. By Simó Ilona.