This year’s Hungarian Bread program began with a wheat blessing

Wheat Blessing Ceremony (Photo: NAK)

The Carpathian Basin Wheat Blessing Ceremony – which took place on April 23 – is the highlight of the opening event of the Hungarian Bread program. The organizers – in connection with the life cycle of wheat and the festive traditions, with the participation of church denominations – ask God’s blessing for a good sowing, a bountiful harvest, and the prevention of natural damage and problems. As well as for the farmers who do a special job to ensure that we all have daily bread on our tables. This year – after the previous consecrations in Vojvodina, Transylvania, Upper Hungary and Partium – a small jewel box across the border, the Karancs settlement in Drávaszög with a population of barely 600, hosted the Carpathian Basin Wheat Consecration Ceremony. The event was co-organized by the Hungarian Federation of Farmer Associations and Farmer Cooperatives and the National Chamber of Agriculture – the Hungarian Democratic Community of Hungarians in Croatia (HMDK). In his welcoming speech, the host Attila Szabó, president of the HMDK Hungarian Community, also introduced the sometimes turbulent historical past and presented what it is like to be a Hungarian in Croatia today. Representative Róbert Jankovics, president of the HMDK, emphasized that the rural and economic development strategy of the HMDK and the support of the Hungarian government contribute significantly to the survival and survival of the Hungarian community. Csaba Demcsák, Hungary’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Zagreb, said that the effectiveness of the support programs is proven by the fact that more and more young Hungarians in Croatia also believe that it is worth staying in their homeland. It is a matter of special pride that this year the Hungarian diaspora was also represented at the ceremony, as the great-granddaughter of our former Prime Minister, Count Ilona Tisza, also participated and spoke at the event with her husband, pastor Gábor Nitsch. Ilona Tisza spoke with emotion about the love of Hungarians and the importance of nurturing our traditions, and emphasized that the most important thing is to always have a hand to hold on to, one that sows, reaps, grinds, bakes and prepares the bread of 15 million Hungarians.

Oszkár Ökrös, Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, has already joined the Hungarian Bread events on several occasions, as the cross-border network of village economists coordinated by the ministry is also an integral part of the charitable collaboration

In his speech, he highlighted: the fact that the folk and church traditions of blessing the sowing are once again becoming part of the life of Hungarian communities has the power to preserve the nation. Zsolt György Papp, President of the National Chamber of Agriculture, highlighted in his speech that we cannot avoid talking about it: there are many challenges, and the solution to them lies in our cooperation, in our thinking together, and in our belonging. A prime example of this is the Hungarian Bread program, which is able to cross borders and in which Hungarians find Hungarians. István Jakab, Vice President of the Parliament and President of the Association of Hungarian Farmers and Farmers’ Cooperatives, emphasized in his ceremonial speech that our faith is the basis of all our happiness, with which the Hungarian people are able to maintain their strength and build the future in a way that never forgets how much they owe their homeland. He added: it is a miracle and exemplary that we can celebrate together in this way, with which today’s event also sends a message to all Hungarians in the world that with one heart and one will we are able to overcome all difficulties. After the festive program and speeches, a joint procession started to the wheat field, where Fr. Róbert Almási, the referent responsible for Hungarians in Croatia of the Archdiocese of Diakóvar-Eszéke, and Fr. Péter Szenn, the bishop of the Reformed Christian Calvinist Church of Croatia, gave a blessing. After that, the service was celebrated by Fr. János Hájek, a pastor serving in Karancs. The event was completed with performances by the local choir, the HMDK Csúzai Csárdás Folk Dance Ensemble, folk songs by Lili Ficak and zither playing by Zoltán Éles, and a recitation by Ilona Pinkert.

NAK