Feasts and Festivals
extract, Éva Héra (Budapest)

In the wide range of colorful and relatively diverse cultural offerings these days, folk dance festivals seem to be the compromise between controlled culture and mass demand. These events, which represent national riches and arouse general interest, can be organized anywhere, on a shoestring, and without any particular expertise; and, importantly, they never seem to disappoint. In my opinion, the general picture of folk dance festivals in Hungary and abroad should encourage us all to take a second look.
According to the Dictionary of Hungarian, a festival is "a series of artistic performances and presentations, associated with special occasions or particular feast days." The New Hungarian Encyclopedia also adds that festivals contribute to the international exchange of artistic and cultural experience as well as to the expansion of trade. In order to be able to talk about festivals, there are two things we need to consider first and foremost (disregarding organizational and financial questions). (1) What is a feast day? What do we consider a feast day or holiday at the dawn of the twenty-first century? (2) What kind of art are we presenting at our festivals?

Photo: László Jantner