Mindenszentek vs Halloween/ All Saints vs Halloween

Actually it is Halloween vs All Hallow's Eve and in the case of Hungary Halloween is rather seen as a rival to All Souls' Day but these holidays are so mixed up in the minds of people that somehow All Saints' Day and Halloween got contrasted. But let's see what these holidays mean to Hungarians:

31st October Halloween / Halloween (All Hallows' Eve)

Traditionally not celebrated in Hungary. Nowadays it is becoming popular thanks to meadia and commercial influence. For example international hypermarkets such as Tesco and Auchan started selling Halloween decoration, today almost all stores have some halloweeny stuff.

Some people decorate their homes for Halloween but it is generally not common to take part in costume parties and children don't go trick-o-treating. Some costume parties are organised in Budapest but they are mostly full of foreign people. Some Hungarian teenagers and some university students also take part in such parties but they are often not dressed in costumes. Somehow it would be weird for Hungarians to party when the atmosphere of All Souls's day (Halottak napja, which literally means "day of the dead") is approaching. Some people though carve pumpkins, and groceries are also reacting to this new trend by selling Halloween pumpkins suitable for carving. Hungarians consume squash and that is not so suitable for carving. They are too small and their skin is too thin and weak. Nevertheless, sometimes you can see jack-o'-lanterns carved from squashes. Many schools where English is taught as a foreign language have some sort of Halloween celebration or children learn about Halloween at least in the framework of an English lesson.

Some Christian churches in Hungary are against celebrating Halloween (with witches and demons) as it is considered a pagan tradition. Protestants emphasize the Reformation Day instead. Nevertheless, I think that it is not the opposition of the churches what hampers Halloween becoming widespread, but the solemnity of visiting cemeteries on All Saints' and All Souls' Day and also that Halloween is seen by many as a hallmark holiday or even as a dangerous threat of loosing our culture due to the effects of globalisation. Nowadays we can find many articles and blog posts debating which holiday to celebrate not just contrasting Halloween and All Souls' Day but also contrasting Halloween and farsang (carneval where children dress up in costumes). An interesting synthesis of Halloween and All Souls' Day is when you can see jack-o'-lanterns on tombs (not very frequently though). No matter what, with Halloween gaining influence Hungarians start to reflect more on their own culture and there are also attempts to reach back to old Hungarian folk traditions. For example this article suggests baking pastry together with friends and giving it away either to friends or to the poor. http://www.nlcafe.hu/ezoteria/20101101/2_halottak_napi_nepszokas_amit_erdemes_kiprobalnod/

1st November Mindenszentek / All Saints' day (All Hallows' Day)

Bank Holiday in Hungary. But cemeteries are open.

2nd November Halottak napja / All Souls' Day
In Hungary it is a day for remembrance, taking flowers and candles to the graves of our deceased relatives. Originally a Christian holiday but today non-religious people also observe it. Cemeteries are usually full of visiting relatives already on 1st November which is a bank holdiay, whereas the 2nd November is not.
Interesting: This website is a modern interpretation of All Souls' Day. People can light virtual candles for the deceased. http://www.gyertyalang.hu/

Vocabulary:
töklámpás - jack-o'-lantern
tök - pumpkin or squash
temető - cemetery
temetői járat - speacial buses or any public transportation vehicles that go to the cemeteries on and around All Souls' Day
gyertya - candle
mécses - candle ( comes usually with some plastic, aluminium or glass holder)
koszorú - wreath
krizantém - chrysanthemum ( This flower is the most popular for taking it to the cemetery, don't give this as a present to your girlfriend, mother-in-law etc. That would be rude.)

1956 on films/1956 filmen

Films about or connected to the 1956 revolution and freedom fight in Hungary. This is not a full list of films about 1956.This asterisk: * means that the title translation was done by me, I don't know if there's an official English version. In the links to the films you will either find a description of the film or the official website of the film or a youtube link to the trailer. The order of films is random, I'm not rating the films.

Filmek az 1956-os forradalomhoz és szabadságharchoz kapcsolódó filmek. A lista korántsem teljes. A csillaggal* jelölt filmcímeket magam fordítottam, nem tudom, hogy létezik-e hivatalos angol vagy angol eredeti esetén hivatalos magyar filmcím. A linkek alatt vagy a filmről szóló leírás, vagy a film hivatalos honlapja, vagy a youtube-on található trailer érhető el. A számozás és a filmek sorrendje véletlenszerű, nem minősíteni akartam a filmeket. Annyit tettem mindösszesen, hogy a hasonló témát feldolgozó filmek egymás mellé kerültek a listán.

Ha diákjainknak szórakoztató formában be akarjuk mutatni az 56-os eseményeket, akkor a Szabadság szerelem a manapság legnépszerűbb mű, melyet a szerelmi szál is emlékezetessé tehet a tizenévesek számára. Továbbá a fiatalok (a harcokban résztvevő srácok) szemszögéből készült filmek is közelebb hozzák a mai tizenévesek számra az akkori eseményeket.
Ezek mellett számos dokumentumfilm közül is válogathatunk, melyek gyakran angol nyelven készültek eredetileg, vagy ellátták őket angol felirattal, illetve egyéb nyelveken készült, vagy feliratozott filmek is vannak. Ahol tudtam ott feltüntettem, hogy a filmnek létezik-e feliratos, vagy szinkronizált változata. A 20. számtól kezdődő dokumentumfilmek közül soknak van, nem csak angol, hanem más európai nyelveken is felirata. Az Egyéb források részben letölthető, vagy online nézhető filmek is vannak. Mielőtt bemutatnánk egy filmet a diákoknak nézzük meg, hogy milyen az életkori besorolása. Vannak filmek, amikben sok a vér, vagy nagyon sok durva szót használnak(pl. a 0. film).

0. Kolorádó Kid - Colorado Kid*
(magyar film Hungarian film 2009)
A film about retaliations after the revolution with a love story and lots of betrayal and bad language.
http://www.cameofilm.hu/filmek/10

1. Szabadság szerelem - Children of Glory
(magyar film - Hungarian film 2006)
A popular film which draws a parallel between the events of the 1956 revolution and the final water polo match between Hungary and the Soviet Union at the Melbourne Olympics, which match is know as the "bloodiest match" in the history of the Olympic Games.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3NIwJEzdyY (exists with English subs as well)

2. A szabadság vihara- Freedom's Fury
(amerikai dokumentumfilm - American documentary 90 min 2006)
This is a film based on the same events as Children's Glory but it is a documentray. It features interviews with the water polo players involved in the "bloodiest match" in the history of the Olympic Games.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgKiTLbORJU
(has a Hungarian dubbed version, its original laguage is English)

3. Olimpiának indult…- It was Supposed to be Olympics...*
(magyar fikciós dokumentumfilm - Hungarian fictional documentary)
http://melbourne56.origo.hu/teaser/20060817olimpianak.html

4. Mansfeld - Mansfeld
(kanadai- magyar filmdráma - Canadian-Hungarian drama film 118 min 2006)
http://www.mansfeld.hu/ (probably has an English version or subtitles)
Peter Mansfeld was one of those boys who got involved in the revolution and was underaged during the revolution and authorities waited for him to come of age and executed him. (According to law capital punishment couldn't be carried out on underaged. )

5. A nap utcai fiúk- The Sun Street Boys
(skót - magyar? filmdráma- Scottish Hungarian ? drama film 2007 89 min)
http://www.premierfilm.hu/film/0101100648851_a_nap_utcai_fiuk.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK4TWAaDwpA (trailer with English subs)
http://www.thesunstreetboys.com/

6. Budakeszi srácok - Budakeszi Boys*
(2006)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBEgnY1arJU

7. Fiúk a blokkból - Boys from the block*
A film by Zsolt Meszkó

8. Temetetlen halott - The Unburied Man
(magyar film - Hungarian film 2004)
A film about the life of Imre Nagy, Prime Minister of Hungary between 1953-55 and on the request of the people during the revolution of 23rd October 1956. As a result he was executed in 1958.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIBjCcaErAY

9. A Wittner film - Hóhér vigyázz - A siralomháztól a parlamentig - The Wittner Film - Hangman Beware- From the Death Row to the Parliament*
(DVD film 2008)
A film about the life of Maria Wittner who was sentenced to death after the revolution but survived and today she is a politician.
http://www.hazaiporta.hu/index.php?url=termekkartya.php&termek_id=450&info=A_Wittner-film_-_Hoher_vigyazz_Matuz_Gabor_-_Siklosi_Beatrix_A_siralomhaztol_a_Parlamentig

10. Az álmok hajnalban halnak meg -Dreams Die at Dawn*- I sogni muoiono all'alba
(Italian film 92 min, Indro Montranelli)
Originally it was a theatre play.

11. Sírj Magyarország*- Cry Hungary
(angol dokumentumfilm - BBC TV documentary 1986)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14E62rq3NAI (This is not the film Cry Hungary, but it is supposed to have excerpts from it.)

12. Öten 56-ról -Five about '56*
( magyar film - Hungarian film 60 min directed by: András Z. Surányi) (exists with English subs)

13. Hazaérés - Getting Home*
(magyar dokumentumfilm - Hungarian documentary 2005 52 min directed by. István Sipos)
It is a documentary about Koszmovszky Edina who read the 14 points of the students in the radio.
http://www.magyarfilmszemle.hu/Szemle-37/Versenyfilm/Hazaeres-Koszmovszky-Edina.html

14. Hazatérés - Journey Home
(dokumentumfilm - documentary 2006 directed by Réka Pigniczky )
This film is a documentary about how Eszter and Réka Pigniczky, who grew up in the USA search for their identity, their Hungarian roots and discover their father's past as a freedom fighter in the '56 revolution.
http://www.56films.com/english/journeyhome

15. Budapesttől Gettysburgig - Budapest to Gettysburg
(amerikai film - American film 2006) ( in English and dubbed? Hungarian)
Egy amerikai magyar származású történész keresi gyökereit, a szálak Magyarországra vezetnek.
http://www.boritt.com/GB/film.htm (description in English)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZORNrAenkM&feature=related (trailer)

16. Mutter - Anya - Mother*
(svájci-magyar dokumentumfilm Swiss-Hungarian documentary 2003)
A film by Mikló Gimes jr. whose father Miklós Gimes (a political figure) was executed after 1956. Miklós Gimes jr. he and his mother emigrated to Switzerland, this film shows events from the mother's perspective.
http://magyar.film.hu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29540&catid=2&Itemid=5

17. Napló, apámnak, anyámnak - Diary for my Father and Mother* (1990)
Napló - Gyermekeimnek - Diary for my Children* (1982)
This is a series of 4 films.
http://www.origo.hu/filmklub/20061024szabadsagtol.html?pIdx=4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWgUDuZlRtE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZc9LjTUPF8&NR=1

18. Szamárköhögés - Whooping Cough*
(magyar film - Hungarian film 1987)
It is from before the change of regime so it is not openly about the revolution. It shows the revolution from the children's perspective.
http://www.origo.hu/filmklub/20061024szabadsagtol.html?pIdx=5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSrEiL7wDgY

19. Szerelem - Love*
(magyar film - Hungarian film1971)
This is not really about the revolution itself as this film is also from before the change of regime. It shows what life was like after the revolution through the life of a woman whose husband is in prison. (Retaliation, then amnesty in 1963)
http://www.origo.hu/filmklub/20061024szabadsagtol.html?pIdx=6

The film titles below are taken from the webiste of The institute for the history of the 1956 revolution.

20. Forró ősz a hidegháborúban - Magyarország 1956-ban - A Fiery Autumn in the Cold War - Hungary in 1956
(magyar dokumentumfilm - Hungarian documentary 2006)

21. Naplófilm. 12 voltam 56-ban - Diray film. I was Twelve in '56.
(magyar animált dokumentumfilm - Hungarian animated documentary 2003)

22. A jugoszláv kapcsolat - The Yugoslav Connection
(magyar dokumentumfilm - Hungarian documentray 2005)

23. A NÉKOSZ legenda - The NÉKOSZ Legend
(magyar dokumentumfilm - Hungarian documentary 2005)

24. Herzl, recenziók, interjúk - Herzl, recensions, interviews*
(magyar dokumentumfilm - Hungarian documentray 2004)

25. Rózsa utca - Rózsa Street*
(magyar dokumentumfilm - Hungarian documentray 2003)

26. Káprázatok káoszában. Lírai portré Kemény Katalinról - In the Chaos of Delusions. A Lyrical Portrait of Katalin kemény*
(magyar dokumentumfilm - Hungarian documentray 2003)

http://www.rev.hu/portal/page/portal/rev/kiadvanyok/filmek

Egyéb források/Other sources:

Letölthető, vagy online nézhető dokumentumfilmek, híradók.
Downloadable or watch online documentaries/news reports.
http://1956.lap.hu/letoltheto_vagy_nezheto_korabeli_dokumentumfilmek/18647633

1956 OSA (Open Society Archives) digitális archívum
1956 OSA (Open Society Archives) digital archive
http://www.osaarchivum.org/digitalarchive/index.html (media coverage)