For families, this is how we celebrate August 20! Transcarpathian Hungarians prepared for the national holiday on August 20 with a creative competition entitled
Emese Kopinec, the spokesperson of the organization that created the tender, told about their goals and their everyday difficulties. He also said that since the outbreak of the war, every year it has become more and more challenging for them to stay in their homeland and preserve their national identity, which is why this year's holiday is of exceptional importance to them.
The competition, which was organized by the Subcarpathian Association of Hungarian Large Families (KMNE), had the opportunity to submit various creative projects, and this year 69 families participated. The submitted projects included drawings, songs, recitations, various compositions, and some baked bread with their families at home. The national holiday is celebrated in the framework of a joint award ceremony with the families who participated in the creative competition, where the submitted projects are exhibited and the children prepare a performance.
The association considers it important that all the families participating in the competition receive a prize, there are no losers. This year, 30 families took first place, 19 families took second place, and 20 families took third place. The awardees receive different rewards for each competition. On this occasion, they receive shopping vouchers for a local creative shop, which is a great help to families when they start school. One of their goals is to be able to hold events in accordance with Christian values, which is why they maintain good relations with local churches, which regularly help them. In addition to the local churches, the Hungarian government, as well as the Consulates General in Beregsász and Ungvár, also support the awarding of their creative applications. "The outbreak of the war changed our lives significantly. It challenges families every day. We believe that community experiences have a staying power, which is more important than ever in this day-to-day life full of uncertainty and fragmentation," , KMNE spokesperson, told hirado.hu
For their larger events, due to the war situation, they have to request special permission from the military law enforcement, but in their own words: "Until now, thank God, we have been able to successfully hold our programs."
"Due to the state of war, unexpected power outages and rising prices cause serious difficulties for us. Despite all this, we try to keep our programs, before every event, representatives of our historical churches say a blessing and we sing the National Anthem."
The solemn singing of the National Anthem testifies to the courage of the Transcarpathian Hungarians, as it has happened more than once that the Ukrainian authorities have tried to prevent this. It is memorable, for example, that the Hungarian national anthem could not be played and the Hungarian flag could not be raised at the opening of the academic year of a Hungarian school in Münkacsi last year. At the time, Transcarpathian Hungarians protested loudly against this.
Every year, the association announces a creative competition for its member families, during which they commemorate our important national holidays. In 2024, the first such tender will be Talpra Hungarian on March 15! they had a tender called, the current one is This is how we celebrate August 20! volt. The next tender will be announced on October 23 to commemorate the 1956 revolution.
Every year, in addition to the tenders, they try to implement more than 70 programs for Hungarian families, among them are small club activities in various themes, such as rocking, youth club, craft club, as well as trips for larger groups, local knowledge trips, walking tours and bicycle tours. They also organize larger events such as children's days, summer farewell parties, vintage balls and the annual Christmas celebration.
In addition to the 35-40 degree heat, the 14-16 hour power cut per day caused by the war makes life difficult for many Hungarian families in Transcarpathia. It is impossible to store food in the refrigerator, the air conditioner does not work, there is no access to cooling water. Even when the colder weather arrives, power outages will cause a lot of problems: it's dark for a long time, the walls are cold, the children are cold.
That's why they started Adj energy! campaign, in which they collect support for the purchase of power generators for Hungarian large families. These devices not only provide comfort, but also provide protection in situations caused by unexpected air-raid alarms.
Since its foundation in 2012, the Subcarpathian Hungarian Large Family Association has become a uniting and supportive community for Transcarpathian Hungarian large families. Today, they can boast of 1,098 member families, visiting their programs from 87 different settlements, week after week. Under the leadership of the current president, József Tarpai, they managed to grow into an exemplary community organizer and value-creating organization. Although the observance of the national holiday on August 20 in Transcarpathia presents the Hungarian community with new challenges every year, national unity and respect for ancient traditions are still alive in their hearts. In the midst of difficulties, the community draws even more strength from the legacy of Saint István, as they know that as long as there are those who cherish the past, there is hope for the future.
Featured image: Illustration/hirado.hu
