Treasuring tradition Celebrating Hungarian culture

By SEAN BARRON
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
OR ETHEL KRIPCHAK, BEING AT THE annual Hungarian Heritage Day celebrations was heartwarming.
Many people walking through the Youngstown American-Hungarian Club in Youngstown noticed seven or eight oil paintings on display, all of which were painted by her father, Larry Santha.
For his accomplishments and contributions to the local Hungarian community, Santha was honored at Sunday's 20th annual Hungarian Heritage Day.
"I'm happy to see they brought some of my father's oil paintings," she said. "His whole house was covered with oil paintings."
Cloudless skies and perfect weather greeted the several hundred people who attended the five-hour event at the Hungarian club's clubhouse, 2219 Donald Ave., on Youngstown's West Side. The festival featured Hungarian food, dancing, music and folk art such as old photographs, paintings and figurines, some dating to the early 20th century.
Delights
Aromas from a variety of Hungarian dishes wafted through the air, as did music by The Hungarians, an Akron-based trio.
Also on the musical menu was Andrew Check, who entertained passers-by with his cimbalom, which is a large dulcimer associated with Hungarian folk music. Andrew said he learned to play the instrument two years ago and that his father, Tibor Check, taught him.
"It's the great-grandfather of the piano," said Andrew, a seventh-grader from Chesterland, Ohio, east of Cleveland. "I always listen to my dad play, and I've learned tons of songs. I get a big sense of accomplishment whenever I learn a new song."
The Check family hosts "Souvenirs of Hungary," a weekly ethnic program that airs Saturdays on WKTL-FM 90.7.
People took advantage of food that included roasted chicken, haluska, stuffed cabbage rolls, palacinta (cr & ecirc;pes filled with apricots or raspberries), dobos torta (a nine-layer cake), stuffed peppers, sausage sandwiches, a variety of pastries and goulash (a Hungarian stew cooked in a stainless-steel kettle over a fire).
Many of those who attended bought sweat shirts, flags, caps and other items. Also for sale were bags of various Hungarian noodles as well as spices, homemade pastries and peppers.
Serious aspects
At one point, the music was put on hold and people were asked to say a silent prayer to remember the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and those suffering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina.
The main purposes of the festival were to bring back memories, to honor Hungarian culture and values, and to bring people of all religions and denominations together, explained Irene Nemeth, the club's treasurer and one of the festival's organizers.
Part of the event's annual tradition is to decorate the clubhouse with Hungarian antiques that members donate, she noted. It's also important to honor someone each year, Nemeth continued.
This year's honorees
Honored this year were Santha and St. Stephen of Hungary Church on Wilson Avenue on the city's East Side, which was the city's first Hungarian Catholic church, Nemeth pointed out. St. Stephen recently celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Santha, who owned Wickliffe Cabinet Works on Mahoning Avenue, was recognized for collecting donations that went toward building the clubhouse and pavilion, both of which were finished in 1984.
Santha also was a craftsman who built pews in churches in several states and was an artist. He died in June.
Dolores Gran, club secretary, also helped organize the festival.