Our moving holiday, Easter
The last week of Lent, which begins with Flower Sunday, was often referred to as the truncated week. Flower Sunday is celebrated all over the world by consecrating willow twigs. People on Rye Island did not bring the consecrated twigs into the house, but stabbed them in the eaves of the house to protect the entire household from harmful powers.
Work done during the Holy Week was attributed magical power. It was believed that the work done at this period would be of great benefit, and all potatoes planted on Good Friday would be large and healthy.
Good Thursday was also called Green Thursday because of the traditional spinach lunch prepared on that day. Noone worked in the fields on Good Friday to keep the crop from being destroyed. Women did not wash on this day because it was popular belief that clothes washed on Good Friday bring danger to their wearer. Good Saturday was a semi-holiday: in the morning people worked around the house, but in the afternoon they were getting prepared for the resurrection ceremony and procession. The fast ended in the evening, and they returned from church to eat ham. It was a tradition on Good Saturday that the houses were swept around before sunrise. This was thought to drive the worms out of the house and its surroundings.
The Hungarian name of Easter (húsvét) indicates that meat and fatty food were consumed again on this day. On Rye Island, it was customary to consecrate Easter food. Every member of the family, even the household animals , had to consume from the ham, eggs, cake, and wine blessed in the church. The symbol of Easter on Rye Island is also the red egg. The egg symbolizes redemption, while its red color symbolizes the blood shed on the cross almost throughout the whole region.
The habit of watering is associated with Easter Monday, which is called öntözés (irrigation) in this region. On this day, men still set out to visit the houses of their relatives and acquaintances. Today, however, the original goal of increasing the fertility of girls and women is not known at all.
