Together for the unity of our nation – This year’s Hungarians’ Bread Program started with the Feast of Wheat Dedication

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The Carpathian Basin Wheat Consecration Festival is a prominent opening event of the Bread of Hungarians – 15 million grains of wheat program, during which, in connection with the life cycle of wheat and festive traditions, with the cooperation of church denominations, we ask God’s blessing for the sowing, for a good harvest, for the prevention of natural damage and problems, and for the for farmers who do outstanding work in order to put daily bread on the table of all of us.

This year, the wheat consecration took place in the vicinity of Kaplony in Partium

Zsolt Semjén, Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary, emphasized in his celebratory speech that we are scattered in the world, but we are all heirs and members of the same nation, the Hungarian nation, in space and time. The Bread of the Magyars is also a symbol of this unity, since, just like a grain of wheat, grow anywhere in the Carpathian basin, it will be collected and will eventually form a single bread. Bread is a symbol of our togetherness, and today’s wheat consecration ceremony strengthens us in our Hungarianness. István Jakab, the president of MAGOSZ, said in his speech that we are living in difficult times, but the strength that comes from our faith will help us through everything. The farmer always begins his work with humility, for which he asks for God’s blessing, since agriculture is particularly exposed to the weather, drought, and ice. No matter what adversity hits us, we always start our work again, because there is faith, there is nation and tradition. This is also symbolized by the Magyarok Kenyere Program, in which we no longer only collect donations, but we can also provide scholarships for talented but needy young people from the Carpathian Basin. Lóránd Bálint Magyar, a member of parliament of the RMDSZ, emphasized: the choice of location is no accident, since around 140 Hungarian families are engaged in agriculture in the Kaplony settlement. As a cooperating organization of the Magyarok Kenyere program, he emphasized: this collaboration creates a useful relationship between farmers and farmers’ organizations, donors and the needy, and is also an arena for professional cooperation at the national level. Partium farmers are happy to donate, because they know that that particular “bread” will go to a good place. Zsolt Feldman, the Secretary of State responsible for agriculture and rural development of the Ministry of Agriculture, emphasized: the Carpathian Basin Wheat Festival is also a celebration of the commonwealth and the farming community. He said that agricultural technology has developed, but the basics of farming, its biological laws, are the same, and there is a result when there is harmony between the farmer and his environment. In addition to this, it is important to create a balance between the farmer’s burdens and obligations, and in order for people to know the work and effort involved in food production, we must be able to show them.

The chairman of the Szatmár county council, Csaba Pataki, expressed his joy that Szatmár county could host a community event of this size and quality

He emphasized: wheat speaks the same language as the farmer who sows it, but in the end it will become bread. He wished for strength and health in order to educate the Hungarian communities and our children wisely. József Luzsi, the vice-president of the National Chamber of Agrarian Economy (NAK), explained in his speech that the NAK also thinks in terms of the nation, not just the country. “It doesn’t matter if the wheat grows somewhere else and I live somewhere else, the taste of the bread is the same: because wheat is life.” – he said. For the farmer, wheat means hope, a variety of hope: that he can sow on time, that the rains will come at the right time, that the harvest will be abundant, that he will be able to support his family, and for all of this he must trust God. He emphasized that food is the fruit of our hard work, a value: we must pay attention to minimizing food waste even at everyday meals. Emese Dóra Szilágyi, the president of the Hungarian Youth Conference (MIÉRT) and candidate for EP, emphasized in her greeting: the Hungarian identity, the community of culture unites us, and the Magyarok Kenyere program goes beyond numbers: it is a tangible example of solidarity and national unity. He added: in today’s trying times, faith and hope provide support: the farmer would not sow a grain of wheat if he did not believe that it would bear fruit and multiply, and just like the good farmer, we too must believe in the success of the community effort.

NAK