Easy Hungarian
  • MAGAZIN
    • Minták / Samples
  • Topics / Témák
    • Szövegek / Texts
    • Szókincs / Vocabulary
    • Nyelvtan / Grammar
    • Blog
  • Contact / Kapcsolat
  • Webshop
    • Kurzusok
    • Magazin
    • E-könyvek

Fagyosszentek / "Ice saints"

13/5/2014

2 Comments

 
Picture
Megérkeztek Magyarországra a "fagyosszentek"!
Május 12., 13. és 14. Pongrác, Szervác és Bonifác névnap. Ők hárman a "fagyosszentek", vagyis ők hozzák a hideget. Ezek a napok általában nagyon hidegek, de utána már jó idő lesz - a hagyomány szerint :) Sajnos a májusi hideg nagyon rossz a friss, fiatal növényeknek, és az embereknek is, akik már nagyon várják a jó időt és a nyarat!


'Ice saints' have arrived to Hungary!
May 12, 13, and 14 are the days of Pongrác, Szervác, and Bonifác. They are the 'ice saints', so they always bring us cold. These days are usually very cold, but then the weather will finally be good - tradition has it :) Unfortunately, cold weather in May is very harmful for young plants, and also for people who are looking for good weather and for summer!

2 Comments
new to Hungary
13/5/2014 10:44:53 am

To say "they are the 'ice saints', so they always bring us cold," doesn't really explain much.

What are ice saints? How are 12, 13, and 14 May "the days of" these saints? What does that mean?

In what way do these ice saints come to Hungary? Some kind of national speaking tour? Why keep inviting them back if they are responsible for cold weather?

Why would they bring cold weather? How are they supposed to control the weather?

Reply
Petra
14/5/2014 02:57:30 am

In Hungary, we celebrate not only birthdays but so-called 'namedays', as well. If you check a Hungarian calendar, you will find names on each day, these are the 'namedays'. Pongrác, Szervác and Bonifác are Hungarian names and the days of these names are on 12, 13, and 14 of May.

Why do they bring us cold? It is in the folk tradition but I don't know if it has any scientific explanation. Folks have observed the weather during centuries and they noted some rules or tendencies. One of these is what is happening now that in the mid of May the weather tends to cool down for a couple of days.

There are several observations like that, such as:
- if it is raining on the day of Medárd (8 June) than there will be rain every day for 40 days
- Sándor, József, Benedek brings warm in a bag (18, 19, 21 March)
- if Katalin is icy (25 Nov), than Christmas will be mild
and so on...

I hope now you know a little more about Hungarian weather folklore :)

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Keresés / Search

    RSS Feed

Get graded readers in the
Magazine

​Follow me on 
facebook

Subscribe to my channel on
youtube

Follow me on
instagram

Copyright © 2014