Kuruc-era Roving in the Historical Bereg...

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Historical Days

Kuruc Historical Days

On the 24-25-26 of July, 2009 the VIIIth Kuruc Days was held. This programme was very unique because of the traditional gastronomic and folk-musical supply. Henceforth, people could see a procession from the Kuruc-Labanc era. Locals dressed in period dresses and the procession of riders took us back in time until the era of Rakóczi s war of independence.

On 24 July 2009 (on Friday) a professional conference and a historical-literary competition was held in the Culture-house (named after RákócziFerenc II). We could hear a lecture about:

· Sándor Molnár, the director of museum of Vaja, spoke about RákócziFolk-traditions ;
· Róbert Szûcs, a teacher of a secondary school, gave a lecture about The European Powerful Proportion and the Foreign Politics of War of Independence ;
· AndrásKaliba, the headmaster of the school of Nyírbátor, taught us about The Events of Rákóczi s War of Independence in Szabolcs-SzatmárBereg-Region

After this professional conference the programme went on with a literary-historical quiz, which title was: The Function of Tarpa and TamásEsze in Rákóczi s War of Independence .

On 25 of July, 2009 (on Saturday) with a speech dr. BélaKelemen (mayor) opened the VIII th Kuruc Days. In the meantime craftsmen sold their products, the cook-teams began to flock in the street of Kuruc-tastes. We could hear a reformed service in the reformed church from 10 AM. Beginning of the programme was held in the Memorial Park of TamásEsze. Attila Dani and ZoltánVeress (members of Band of RákócziTárogató ) played on tárogató (a Hungarian folk instrument). Speeches were told by OszkárSzabolcs, dr. SándorCzomba (a member of parliament) and dr. BélaKelemen, the mayor of Tarpa. The Kuruc Tradition-keeping Organization of Rákóczifalva and the Bereg Citera-band of Tarpa performed some very interesting programmes. This remembrance day was finished with the wreathing of the statue of TamásEsze.

Riders and carts accompanied the public to a square (which is in front of the local reformed church) where the Kuruces of Tarpa worn period dresses, performed a scene from the work of Tamás Bárány Under the Flags of Rákóczi (Location: centre of Tarpa, 21 May 1703). Then at the end of the remembrance we wreathed the statue of Rákóczi Ferenc II. Henrietta Berecki recited a poem.

After the remembrance boys and girls dressed in period dresses went to that place where the riders already waited them. It was the main location place of the programme: the park of the Culture-house. Dr. Béla Kelemen opened this programme and welcomed the publicity. The cultural and the entertaining programme was started on the stage.

In the meantime flavour of Kuruc-foods and traditional Bereg meals was flattering in the air. Publicity could learn how to make these foods, their recipes and they might taste them. Recipes of meals were gathered from descriptions from old times. Dishes were made on (free) fire, in furnaces and on spits. They tried to use the local products of people, and mainly those ones that are from stocks of organic farming. Performances of cultural and entertaining programmes, art groups and soloists entertained the dear guests

In the park of the local Culture-house public could taste and buy the traditional and Kuruc-era meals, which were made from the original recipes from 1698. Creatures of folk-art and graphic arts, craftsmen made this event to a real market cavalcade. In the park of the Culture-house a special street was made, its name s Street of Craftsmen , where curious people could get acquainted with different trades (potter, smith, leather-maker, lace-beater, wood carver, fancy worker, doll maker and gingerbread maker).