Hungarian folk art and culture

Peasantry carried it mainly from its establishment from the Middle Ages for centuries. Obviously, Hungarian folk culture has been forming through times. It preserved elements from the old ages, but it was influenced by the so-called gentleman erudition from the 18th century just as the ecclesiastical erudition of different ages. The co-habitation of the different nations in the Carpathian basin mutually formed each others culture, financial and spiritual arts as well. The 19th century was the period of the blossoming out of Hungarian folk art. The costumes became more colourful and the most artistic articles of pottery and the most ornamented furniture roots back to this period. After 1920, the majority of the ethnicities of Hungary got beyond the borders of the country. On the territory of the country, Germans, Slovaks, Romanians and South Slavs live in greater numbers who preserve, and others who, together with the Hungarians, rediscover their folk culture.

Folk costumes

The basic material of the traditional Hungarian folk costume was linen, (later cambric), woven out of hemp or flax, and the broad-cloth or felt, made of wool and all kinds of leather. The most decorated folk costumes were worn in the environs of Rbakz and Srbogrd in Transdanubia. The Palots folk costume has a peculiar colour scale. In Galgamente, women wore many underskirts. The peculiarity of the Maty folk costume is the Gothic cut of womans dresses and the extraordinary mans hat. From among the regions of the Alfld, Kalocsa was outstanding with the rich colour-world of womans dresses, Bodrogkz, with the fringed womans shawl, Hortobgy, with mans shepherd wear. The cut, the colours and the peculiar headdresses made Transylvanian folk costume unique (Kalotaszeg, Torock, Szekelys).

Folk traditions

The fairly rich customs also existing today in a bit simplified way of Hungarian folk traditions can be grouped around two great themes. The traditions associated with the important stations of human life belong to the first group and the other group contains the certain days and periods of the calendar year. Sending the fraternal basket is a still existing custom in the country connected to birth and baptizing. The wedding ceremony has a peculiar custom method, (asking for the fiancée, best man poems, dance with the bride, hair-knotting of the bride accompanied with singing, etc.). The burial is preceded by standing watch by the dead body nevertheless, this custom only exists in one or two places and the feast after the burial can be said to be general. However, mainly the traditions following the order of the old agricultural works constitute the circle of folk traditions.

See also

Art and culture