Culture: Szerenád Graduating Students

There is evidence everywhere in Eger of the approaching graduation of secondary students from the schools here. Last night we were sitting on the small balcony overlooking the guesthouse garden and heard a chorus of voices singing, accompanied by guitar. We couldn't see the group, but at one time they seemed to be in a location to the right, then later to a location on the left. We walked into the Centrum for dinner, and saw groups of teenagers, but still had no explanation.

On our way home, we witnessed a performance that brought to mind some earlier reading I had done (Istvan Bart's Hungary & the Hungarians: A Concise Dictionary of Facts and Beliefs, Customs, Usage & Myths) about customs in relation to secondary school graduation. It was a beautiful performance, a szerenád, during which students in the last weeks of their studies go to the homes of their teachers (both men and women), and sing to them. The teacher stands in the window with lighted candles, and then may invite the students in for cakes. I asked my 'sources' at the office about the practice, and they confirmed that we were seeing an old but continuing custom. The songs they sing are traditional, for that purpose, and a large number of students participate, giving the szerenád even for teachers with whom they didn't necessarily have the best relationships.

I looked on the Internet for a video example of this performance and didn't find one. Perhaps I'll go out again and record the practice 'for the record'. I hope this beautiful custom continues.

Another interesting manifestation of the upcoming graduation is the appearance, in nearly every store window, of graduation pictures. However, these aren't the standard formal group shots, even if they include formal individual pictures. Each class, in each secondary school, designs (and constructs? I'm not sure), a themed poster. They include photos of the students and their teachers.

In my cultural reading (Bart's book) this is described as an érettségi tabló. In this age of Photoshop and clip art, the themes have gone wild, with everything from mock "wanted posters" to spider webs to alien visitors. I'll include a few photos of these posters.

Passersby definitely stop and look at the posters, finding people they know and discussing what they see with each other. According to my office 'sources', once the framed posters leave the windows they go to the hallways of the schools, at least until the walls are filled. At that time the older ones find new homes in the basement or in the offices and homes of the earlier students.

Today we saw lots of young people and their parents and siblings dressed up (many of the girls with middy blouses), with many garlands and flowers, including. I'm not sure whether this was the graduation itself or another custom outlined in Bart's book, the ballagás. Our observations certainly fit the description--I'll check my 'sources' next week!

According to Bart's wordy description this 'graduation parade' is held on the last day of the last week of classes. "Graduating seniors (boys in dark suits, girls in sailor-blouses) slowly march around the school from room to room, each decorated with flowers; they sing as they march in line, each student's right hand resting on the shoulder of the student in front, then they bid farewell to their school at a sentimental ceremony, with the juniors bidding farewell to them in turn, which touches the hears of even the most indifferent teenager; the ballagás is attended by parents and other relatives, as well as former students and new girlfriends and boyfriends, all of whom bring flowers, especially lilacs, which open at this time of year. The tradition of ballagás has become so popular, that ceremonies are now held even in kindergartens (Bart, 2002, p. 21)."