The funeral of carnival

THE FUNERAL OF CARNIVAL

March 23,2023

FUNERAL OF CARNIVAL IN TRANSYLVANIA

A Transylvanian tradition to celebrate the end of carnival season and winter

gathering in the town centre

The timing of the carnival or “farsang” period can vary depending on local traditions and practices,

but it is mostly celebrated during the period between Epiphany (January 6th) and Ash Wednesday.

In some regions, the date of Farsangtemetés is tied to the lunar calendar and may fall on different days on each year. However, the “Farsangtemetés” event we attended was intentionally scheduled for February 22nd to coincide with the Christian observance of Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of lent. During lent (which is a 40-day fasting period before Easter) many Christians abstain from meat, dairy and other indulgences as a form of penance and spiritual discipline. “Farsangtemetés” serves as the last day of the “farsang” season which is often associated with feasting, drinking, and merrymaking and may be observed as a way to indulge and celebrate before the start of this more solemn period.

the so called Illyés figure

One of the central features of “Farsangtemetés” is the funeral procession or parade featuring an effigy made of hay. The effigy represents the spirit of “Farsang”, it is a fully clothed humanlike figure, called Illyés with a male genitalia made of a carrot and two potatoes.

the so called Illyés figure

One of the central features of “Farsangtemetés” is the funeral procession or parade featuring an effigy made of hay. The effigy represents the spirit of “Farsang”, it is a fully clothed humanlike figure, called Illyés with a male genitalia made of a carrot and two potatoes.

the so called illyés figure

One of the central features of “Farsangtemetés” is the funeral procession or parade featuring an effigy made of hay. The effigy represents the spirit of “Farsang”, it is a fully clothed humanlike figure, called Illyés with a male genitalia made of a carrot and two potatoes.

This effigy is carried through the village with the whole procession, which consists of the main leader/speaker, who is a parody of a preacher, the carriers of the figurine, then a group of women and even some men all dressed up in women’s clothes. They act like mourners or lamenters,loudly expressing their sadness over the death of Ilyés, the rest of the procession is just general audience who don't serve any specific purpose, followed last by the musicians who are playing traditional folk music.

Along the way, there are frequent stops throughout the village, where couple of neighboring houses come together, choosing some type of theme, which differs for every stop. They sometimes perform for the public choosing to sing and playing funny scenarios and offer both homemade food and drinks, including sweet pastries and sandwiches and the traditional bread spread with fat or “fatty bread” with onion, as well as homemade wine and some other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

At each stop the main speaker holds a speech which is one of the lamentation’s destined for Illyés and is also made in a humorous way. These songs or performances often mock some Christian elements. Thereafter the whole procession starts dancing to the music surrounding the effigy which is placed on the ground. They perform a traditional dance, called “csárdás”, which is a couple dance and we had the opportunity to try it out.

After they march their ways through the so called stops of the village the procession ends in a ceremonial burning of the effigy. The ceremonial death of Illyés which is accompanied by lamentations,is meant to symbolize both the passing of the celebratory season of farsang and the winter season. In this way they celebrate the arrival of spring.

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Farsangtemetés is a beloved Szekler tradition in Hungarian communities of Transylvania, particularly in rural areas. It is often considered as an opportunity to bring the community together

and celebrate the end of the long winter months. The festivity has deep roots in Szekler culture, and it is often passed down from generation to generation. However, some of the local people worry about the continuation of this tradition as it remains celebrated only in a handful of villages.

One of the highlights of “Farsangtemetés” was the opportunity to try traditional Szekler food and drinks. We ate delicacies made of flour such as “pánkó”, cruller and horn bread. These are very similar to doughnuts. In solidarity with Quentin, we didn't eat those which were sprinkled by nuts, as he is allergic to them. We all found it very delicious, and we highly appreciated the hospitality and kindness of the local people.

Ultimately, it seems that Farsangtemetés is a beloved Szekler tradition that brings communities together to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Featuring an effigy made of hay, live music, dancing, and traditional Hungarian food and drinks, this celebration is a colorful and lively way to mark the changing of the seasons.

Personal thoughts of our volunteers

personal thoughts

Jaanus: “I thought it was a great and fun event, it was nice to see so many celebrating people out on the streets. I must admit, I don’t know of any similar events in Estonia. Mostly we just celebrate the summer solstice by making huge bonfires on the evening of the 23rd of June. However, hardly ever is someone serving free food and drinks to the masses. I also enjoyed the live music and I felt that the whole atmosphere was one merriment, just a nice bunch of people enjoying themselves on the streets.” Timotej: “It was an interesting event to experience, because it is a unique local tradition. It was nice to gain a little bit of insight into the lives of the locals, their perspectives and how do they deal with their difficulties through the use of humor and parody. It's nice to see the resilience of the people to keep the traditions of the old alive.” Quentin: “I enjoyed witnessing this event, I don’t think I’ve ever participated anything like that before, so it was interesting to discover something new. It was interesting to discover this part of the Szekler culture. I hope this tradition keeps on going through the years, I think it would be a big loss if it dies out.”

get more information

If this story sparked your interest towards finding out more about Rural Transylvania and possible ways to experience it, you are welcome to contact us.

· Youth Association from Transylvania at office.ata@gmail.com

· Farmers Association from the Cristuru Secuiesc Area at office.aacs@gmail.com