MARCH
The old Hungarian name of March is Böjtmás, referring to the fact that this is the second month of the fasting period. All traditions connected to nature, weather and folk heritage in this month are related to the approaching spring.
March 18, feast os Sándor (St. Alexander of Jerusalem), is close to the beginning of spring. This fact is announced by the well-known rhyme: „Sándor, József, Benedek, They all bring warmth with a sack”.
March 19, feast of St. Joseph. On this day, the craftsmen of Dunaszerdahely marched under their guild flags, confessed, sacrificed and prayed together in front of the statue of St. Joseph placed in the church. Beekeepers released their bees on this day so that they could gain strength by the beginning of flowering to be able to collect honey. The people of Rye Island believed that Joseph would give the singing birds a whistle so that they could sing.
March 21 is the day of St. Benedict of Nursia, the third saint to bring warmth. According to folklore, garlic consecrated on this day is useful in all troubles.
March 25 is the celebration of the conception of Jesus. The old Hungarian name of the feast is Gyümölcsoltó Boldogasszony (Our Lady the Fruitbearing). The name of the holiday comes from the tradition that orchards used to graft trees at this time. The people of Rye Island also tied the arrival of spring to this day.
APRIL
The old Hungarian name is the month is St. George.
April 1 is the day of fools in folk tradition. On this day, it was appropriate to play tricks and make fun of people.
April 24 is the feast of Szent György (St. George). According to legend, the saint killed a dragon which abducted a princess and thus freed the girl from captivity. He is also one of the patron saints of the Catholic church in Dunaszerdahely. From this day on, tradition predicted the stabilization of good weather, which is why many customs, mainly those related to animal husbandry, are associated with this date. Shepherds joined a new farmer on this day, and the cattle were also driven out to pasture for the first time. On that night, special care had to be taken of the animals so that the witches gathering at the end of the village would not abuse the cattle. On Rye Island, it was widely believed if the sky roamed before George's Day it promised a good harvest.
April 25 is the feast of Márk (St. Mark), which is reknown by farmers’ customs, especially the consecration of wheat.
Our moving holiday, Easter is often held in April. 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.
MAY
Its ancient name – the Month of Pentecost – derives from the most important holiday of the month. The first day of the month is an ancient spring holiday, the day of the May feast, and Maypole elevation. In the old days, this beautifully decorated slender tree was raised by boys for the girl they pleased or wanted to pay court to.
May 4 is St. Florian's Day. The statue of the patron saint of firefighters and chimney sweeps can be found in many villages in Rye Island. The belief holds that beans or peas planted at Florian’s time do not bear fruit. The corn planted on this day however, grows abundantly.
In May, the so-called Ice Saints line up one after the other, what most often results in unusually cold May days. Their line is be opened by Pongrác on May 12 (St. Pancras), followed by Szervác (St. Servatius), Bonifác (St. Mamertus or, in some countries, St. Boniface of Tarsus) and the only woman, Zsófia (St. Sophia). The period closes on May 25 with Orbán (St. Urban), the patron of grapes.
The Feast of Pentecost falls on the fiftieth day after Easter. According to the Bible, the Holy Spirit descended on this day to the believers in Jerusalem to fill them with the power of God. Pentecost was one of the most significant spring holidays in the Hungarian folk tradition. On Rye Island, the walk of the Queen of Pentecost and the custom of the Pentecost feast were connected to it. At this time of the year, girls dressed in white, and visited the village with a puppet which they named as queen, and they sang and danced, while collecting donations.
King of Pentecost competitions were common in many parts of Europe. The bachelor, who had stood and won the different skill tests, was chosen as king on Rye Island as well, and his kingdom lasted for a whole standing year. During this time, no punishment could be imposed on him, and as the leader or judge of bachelors, he was invited to all parties.
