The hungarian grape-harvesting
The grape-harvesting is both a hard work and a feast at the time. After the long hours of hoeing, the pruning and the grafting of the grape the time of wine-making has arrived. The phrase “grape-harvesting” (szüret) in the Hungarian language originally meant one of the steps of wine-making, the clearing, but nowadays it meant to the harvesting of other fruits too. In this article we are going to introduce some of the habits of harvesting.
In past times the harvesting was a social event, the families have prepared for this through the year. In those days this was a common event for the whole community, which has been culminated in the harvest dance. In the wine making territories bigger balls, and harvest marches has been held. Nowadays the harvest is still the common event of the family, relatives and friends.
During the time of harvest, the schools have been closed, the umpiring has been intermitted, and the soldiers have given a leave. It was a real feast with tents, an event not to be missed, and an important part of social life, one of the traditional scenes of befriending. The harvest has been started with noise making, frightening, or maybe with gunshots – this is an old rite of scaring away the evil.
The real work has been started after that. The girls and wives were the pickers, they have shouted to the dough carrier boys and men, who were collected the grape into the “puttyony-s” (the Hungarian name of the dough). The grapes were crashed before the squeezing; the real winemaking was started there. It was natural to hear loud singing of joking during the work.
In the end of the day, the harvesters have been carrying a harvest wreath on their shoulders which has been ornamented with grape clusters, wheat and ribbons. Drinking wine during the dance was natural too; or evens its consequence, a smaller or bigger fight, which was not out of ordinary or particularlyoffensive.
Making the harvest feast was important for the housekeeper. A groaning board has been waiting for the workers after the harvest. The main course was some kind of mutton or beef made in kettles, and scone. The feast has been finished with “csöröge” dough.
(Further information: Erzsébet Táncos, netfolk.hu),
Pictures:
https://mandadb.hu
www.vinolion.com
