SEPTEMBER
The old Hungarian name is derived from the archangel celebrated at the end of the month, which is why it is called the month of St. Michael. Autumn festive habits and beliefs of all kinds served to increase fertility, preserve and protect one’s health.
September 1 is the feast of Egyed (St. Aegydius), also the beginning of meteorological autumn. Folk traditions regard this day as the commencement of the autumn season. Good weather on this day was believed to promise a pleasant autumn and good wine.
On September 8, the church celebrates the birthday of Virgin Mary. The name of the holiday is Kisasszonynap (Little Miss Day, Assumption Day). On Rye Island girls and women were not allowed to work on this day. The ban mainly concerned weaving and spinning. This day was a pilgrimage day across the country. The inhabitants of the villages of Upper Rye Island made an on-foot pilgrimage to Szentantal (Bacsfa) to the helping (painting of) Virgin Mary.
September 29 is the celebration of the appearance of St. Michael the Archangel. Folk tradition relates mainly beliefs, customs and weather observations regarding work on the fields to this day. On this day the cattle were driven from external fields and summer lodges into stables. Servants were commisioned on this day, and shepherds also held one of their annual village walks. Shepherds were allowed to walk around the village and collect their allowance four times a year. In addition to Saint Michael’s Day these days were November 11, that is Saint Martin’s Day, Christmas and Easter.
The weather on St. Michael's already projects next year. If cattle rest lying, closely together, it marks the arrival of a hard, cold winter. The people of Rye Island also observed that the lightning and thunder after St. Michael's Day promises bad weather during the approaching winter. If northern wind blows at this time, it will bring a hard winter, a lot of snow.
OCTOBER
Although the referred holiday itself falls only on the first day of the following month, old calendars name the 10th month of the year as All Saints’ Month. The Church – similarly to May –, dedicates this month to the honor of Virgin Mary.
On October 7 is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. According to the people of Rye Island, the Holy Rosary recited on this day provides a guaranteed help both spiritually and financially.
On the next day, on the 8th, the Hungarian Church celebrates the Day of Our Lady of Hungary. The Hungarians have been honoring Virgin Mary since the time of king St. Stephan. During the millennium (1896) XIII. Pope Leo allowed this celebration exclusively for Hungary. According to folk observations, if the sun shines all day on this holiday, we will also have a lot of sunshine in the spring of the following year.
October 20 is the feast of Vendel (St. Wendelinus). According to his legend Vendel was an Irish prince commissioned to a farmer as a Roman pilgrim to serve him as a shepherd. This is why he is considered the patron saint of shepherds. His statue, usually depicting him with a shepherd's staff, embracing a small lamb, was erected at the entrance of almost all villages on Rye Island.
NOVEMBER
The old Hungarian name is the month of St. Andrew.
On the first day of November, the (roman catholic) Church celebrates Saints who have no assigned date in the calendar. On the afternoon of All Saints’ - just as it is today - , cemeteries were full of relatives decorating the graves, and in the evening many more joined to light candles for the spiritual salvation of the dead. The light of the candles burning on the tombs symbolizes eternal light.
The next day, on the 2nd, is the Day of the Dead (All Souls’s Day), the time of remembrance for souls suffering in purgatory. Many prohibitive customs are associated with this day. It was forbidden to wash, whitewash or plant garlic during the week of the holiday. Along the Upper Danube, it was believed that dead members of the family would visit their former home during the week of the dead, so a major clean-up was held this week.
November 11 is Márton (St. Martin's Day). This day was a rental fee and payroll due date already as early as the Árpád era, and it was also a time shepherds to perform natural magic. Shepherds gave a bunch of canes as gifts that day to the farmers whose cattle they were grazing. This beam was named the cane of St. Martin, to which a protective role was attributed.
November 25 is the feast of Katalin (St. Catherine the Martyr). Catherine's Day is both a weather forecast day and a love magic day. Her feast is followed by Advent, when neither a wedding nor a dance is allowed. In some places, bachelors fasted all day to dream of who their wife would be. Girls however, placed orchard twigs in water, and if the branches of these fruit trees bloomed, the girl would urely get married the following year. The people of Rye Island also observed the weather, they said if "Katalin knocks, Christmas will be sloppy".
November 30 is the feast of St. Andrew. Andrew's Day is also a time of love fortune telling. Girls fasted all day, and for the night they put some piece of men's clothing under their head to find out in their sleep who their husband would be.
In the villages along the Danube, where once watermills were operating, the millers paid special attention to Andrew's Day. "András, look homeward," said the warning, meaning that by the time the approaching frost has reached the river, all floating mills had to be towed to the bank of the Danube, to the safe harbor.
Andrew's Day is a turning point in the calendar. The Sunday following it is the beginning of the new liturgic year, the first Sunday of Advent. Advent means the Lord is approaching, and comes from the Latin word ‘adventus’. In Catholic villages, the Friday of Advent was considered a strict fast, meat and fatty food were not consumed at all. The congregation attended early morning Rorate masses, every day except Sunday.
