HUNGARIAN HERITAGE DAY
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The AHSCA presents Hungarian Heritage Day, which usually takes place in May or June of every year. Elderly Hungarian residents, ages 75 and older, are honored during a celebration of history and culture that usually includes Hungarian music, dancing and food. A group photo of all the honorees that attend the celebration. Each receives a copy of the photo and a certificate stating that they are an honoree of the Arpadhon Hungarian Settlement Cultural Association.

HUNGARIAN HERITAGE DAY 2007
Heritage Day took place on  Sun., June 24, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Margaret Hall in Hungarian Settlement. Those of Hungarian descent, age 75 and over, who are a part of or who once lived in our community, were honored at this event. Forty of these honorees were present at Heritage Day! Each received a corsage and had their picture taken by Bill Prokop as they arrived. The ribbon for the corsages came all the way from Hungary! The program began with a welcome by Jim King, the AHSCA president. Suzanna Green led the Star-Spangled Banner and Vicky Mocsary led the Hungarian National Anthem. Rev. Dr. Stephen Sanders of the Albany Hungarian Presbyterian Church led the invocation. Dr. Stephen Gergatz, Honorary Hungarian Consul for Louisiana, presented some words of support and encouragement for our desire to remember our Hungarian roots. Louis Bartus, President of the Hungarian Settlement Historical Society, gave an update on the progress of the Hungarian Settlement Museum. Vicky Mocsary gave a brief historical sketch of the community and recognized the Hungarian honorees present at this event. Mary Mocsary Pauli received a Wal Mart gift card from the AHSCA for being the oldest honoree present at Heritage Day. She is 90 years young, but will be 91 at the end of July! Joe Spisak also received a Wal Mart gift card for being the honoree who traveled the farthest to come to this event. He came all the way from Martinez, Georgia! The crowd was then entertained with some Hungarian dances performed by a New Orleans dance group called the International Folk Dancers. After the dancing, Suzie Green and her aunt, Vicky Mocsary, performed three Hungarian Folk Songs– Piros Piros Piros, Ég a Város and Az a Szép. Rev. Paul Nguyen of St. Margaret Catholic Church led the blessing of the food. Afterwards, refreshments, that included some Hungarian pastries, punch, cookies, sandwiches, and coffee, were served. Special thanks to all who brought food, made a donation, or assisted in any way to help make this event possible. A photo collage of all the honorees, along with a certificate commemorating the occasion, was sent to each honoree who was present at Heritage Day.

PHOTO OF THE HONOREES FROM THE 2007 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE DAY CELEBRATION:

 

MORE SCENES FROM THE 2007 HERITAGE DAY CELEBRATION:


Honorees Liz and Louis Bordok, Fr. Paul Ngyuen, and others observe the dancing performance.
 


The International Folk Dancers and audience participants dance together.
 


Four sibling Honorees: George Lezu, Irene Lezu Good, Andy Lezu, and Frank Lezu
 

Hungarian Heritage Day 2006
Heritage Day took place on Sunday, June 4, 2006 at St. Margaret Hall. The program began with a welcome by AHSCA  President, Louis Monic. Suzanna Green then performed the Star-Spangled Banner. This was followed by the Hungarian National Anthem, which was led by Victoria Mocsary. Rev. Msgr. Leo Guillot of St. Margaret Catholic Church gave the invocation. Dr. Stephen Gergatz, Honorary Hungarian Consul for Louisiana, said a few words about how impressed he is with our community and our eagerness to remember our heritage. He also pointed out that 2006 marks the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution against communism. Victoria Mocsary followed with a brief historical sketch of the community and noted that 2006 marks the 110th anniversary of Hungarian Settlement. She then formally recognized all forty-six honorees that were present at the event. Because of all his support for Heritage Day over the past few years,  Fr. Leo Guillot was made an honorary Hungarian for the day. After the recognition of the seniors of Hungarian descent, age 75 and older (the honorees), special gifts were handed out. Mary Mocsary Pauli received a Wal-Mart gift card and a hand-painted wooden Hungarian doll for being the oldest honoree at this event. She was 89 at Heritage Day, but just turned 90 years old at the end of July! Ernest Breda, who came all the way from Beaumont, Texas to attend this event, received a prize (a wooden frame to hold his Honoree Certificate) for being the honoree who traveled the farthest to come to Heritage Day. A dance group, called the Denim and Lace Cloggers, then performed a series of fast-moving numbers that fascinated the crowd. The rest of the afternoon’s entertainment consisted of Hungarian dancing and singing. Tonya King, Sue Nyeki Martin, Victoria Mocsary, Nichole King Smith, and Chris Maklary Thornhill performed the Somogy Karikázó, a women’s circle dance. Helen Fekete Nyeki then sang one of the community’s all time favorites, Részeg Vagyok Rózsám. Paul Bates and Tom Mocsary then joined the other dancers with the Olahos, which is a jumping dance. Helen Nyeki followed this dance with the song, Kapitán Uram. Paul Bates and Tom Mocsary finalized the entertainment with the Géncsi, a men’s recruiting dance. Rev. Robert Weathersby of the Albany Hungarian Presbyterian Church blessed the food and everyone present was able to then partake of the delicious foods the included Hungarian pastries among other delicacies. An photo was taken of each honoree and later put together in a collage, creating an 8 x 10 group picture. A copy was later given to each honoree as a memento of Hungarian Heritage Day in Hungarian Settlement, 2006.

PHOTO OF THE HONOREES FROM THE 2006 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE DAY CELEBRATION:

 

Heritage Day 2005
The Árpádhon Hungarian Settlement Cultural Association (AHSCA) sponsored its annual Hungarian Heritage Day on Sunday, June 5, 2005 at St. Margaret Hall near Albany. Honorees (those of Hungarian descent, ages 75 and over) were greeted at the door and presented with a special certificate commemorating the occasion. Each also received a “Hungarian Honoree, 2005" button to wear during the celebration. The buttons were white with red lettering and decorated with red, white and green ribbons. Individual photographs of the honorees were taken by Bill Prokop as they came in the door. A total of 43 honorees attended this year’s event!! AHSCA President, Jim King, started the program by welcoming the crowd and leading the Pledge of Allegiance. Suzanna Green, daughter of Kathleen Mocsary Green, then sang the Star-Spangled Banner. Immediately following, Victoria Mocsary, led the singing of the Hungarian National Anthem. Rev. Dr. Stephen Sanders of the Albany Hungarian Presbyterian Church led the invocation prayer. The program was then turned over to Victoria Mocsary, chair of the Heritage Day Committee. Mocsary officially recognized the honorees, calling each of them by name. Next, door prizes were handed out to two lucky honorees. Ninety-three-year-old Elizabeth King received a beautiful floral bouquet and a prize ribbon for being the oldest honoree at the event. Stephen King, who came all the way from Kempner, Texas received a package of Hungarian playing cards and a prize ribbon for being the honoree who traveled the farthest to attend this event. The entertainment for the afternoon began with the Gáncsi, a Hungarian men’s dance performed by Paul Bates, Mike Erdey, Marty Farkas, and Tom Mocsary. Suzanna Green and Victoria Mocsary then performed the following songs in Hungarian: Ég a Város and Debrecen. Next, a local children’s dance group, called The Little Gypsies, performed a series of dances to Hungarian melodies. The conclusion of the program came when ten year olds, Jacob Green and Christina Mocsary, and five year old, Megan Green, dazzled the audience by singing the following songs in Hungarian: Kis Kutya, Nagy Kutya, Az a Szép and Piros Piros Piros. Aftern the singing, Rev. Sanders led a prayer to bless the food and refreshments were served. The delicacies included punch, sandwiches, cookies, cake, and Hungarian pastries, such as kiflik and kalács. The Heritage Day committee: Kathleen Green, Victoria Mocsary, Julia Ourso, and Margaret Resetar, would like to thank all of the volunteers who prepared food or helped in any way to make this event possible.

PHOTO OF THE HONOREES FROM THE 2005 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE DAY CELEBRATION:

 
 

2004 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE DAY CELEBRATION

The Árpádhon Hungarian Settlement Cultural Association (AHSCA) sponsored its annual Hungarian Heritage Day on Sunday, June 13, 2004 at St. Margaret Hall near Albany. Honorees (those of Hungarian descent, ages 75 and over) were greeted at the door and presented with a special certificate commemorating the occasion. Each also received a “Hungarian Honoree, 2004" button to wear during the celebration. The buttons were white with green lettering and decorated with red, white and green ribbons. Individual photographs of the honorees were taken by Bill Prokop as they came in the door. A total of 47 honorees attended this year’s event!! After AHSCA President, Jim King welcomed the crowd, Suzanna Green, daughter of Kathleen Mocsary Green, sang the Star-Spangled Banner. Rev. Dr. Stephen Sanders of the Albany Hungarian Presbyterian Church did the invocation prayer, which was followed by a brief speech by Dr. Stephen Gergatz, Honorary Hungarian Consul for Louisiana. Gergatz discussed his support of the event and stressed how pleased he was to see the community continue to celebrate its heritage. The center of attraction during this program was a beautiful Hungarian flag which is over 100 years old. Gergatz confirmed the authenticity and age of this flag and briefly discussed its historical significance. The flag was brought to the U.S. by Steve Resetar, one of the earliest immigrants to settle here. The owners of the flag, Michael and Joe Jenkins, graciously loaned the flag to the AHSCA for the day in memory of their mother, Helen Prokop Jenkins, who passed away this past year. The entertainment for this event was provided by Suzanna Green and Victoria Mocsary, who performed the following songs in Hungarian: Ég a Város, Debrecen, Megismérni a Kanászt, Kék Nefeléjcs and Piros Piros, Piros. Mocsary, chair of the Heritage Day Committee, then reflected on the history of the community and officially recognized the honorees, calling each one by name. This Hungarian Heritage Day was dedicated to the memories of three AHSCA members who devoted large amounts of their time to the preservation of the Hungarian culture in the community: Betsy King, David Arceneaux, and Horace Green. Their families were presented with framed certificates posthumously declaring Betsy, David, and Horace to be Hungarian Honorees at this event. One of the highlights of the day was when door prizes were handed out to more than fifteen lucky honorees. One of the top honors went to Elizabeth King, 92 years old, who received a floral bouquet and a hand painted wooden box from Hungary for being the oldest honoree present at the celebration. Ethel Ivanyisky Hudak received a gift basket of Hungarian food items from the Olde World Bakery for being the honoree who traveled the farthest to come to Heritage Day. She came all the way from Merriville, Indiana, which is over 900 miles away! A special thanks goes to Diane Szegfu, who graciously donated several hand painted items from Hungary to be given out as door prizes. The last performance of the day featured Suzanna Green singing the song Please Remember. The program closed with a benediction prayer and the blessing of the food by the Rev. Msgr. Leo Guillot of St. Margaret Catholic Church. The refreshments that followed included punch, sandwiches, and Hungarian pastries, such as kiflik and kalács. The Heritage Day committee: Kathleen Green, Victoria Mocsary, Julia Ourso, and Margaret Resetar, would like to thank all of the volunteers who prepared food or helped in any way to make this event possible.

PHOTO OF THE HONOREES FROM THE 2004 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE DAY CELEBRATION:


2003 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE DAY CELEBRATION

Our Annual Hungarian Heritage Day took place on Sunday, June 1, 2003 at St. Margaret Catholic Hall. A record number of honorees, fifty-eight in all, attended this event! The ceremony began when all those present were welcomed by AHSCA president, Jim King. Suzie Green then sang the Star-Spangled Banner, which was immediately followed by everyone singing A Magyar Himnusz (the Hungarian National Anthem). Reverend Dr. Stephen Sanders did the invocation and the AHSCA dancers, led by Sue Martin, entertained the crowd with ethnic-style dancing. This portion of the program began with a Hungarian men’s dance called the Gencsy  Verbunk, which was performed by Mike Erdey, Marty Farkas, Adam Green, and Thomas Mocsary. Suzie Green and Vicky Mocsary then sang two Hungarian songs called, Megismerni a Kanast and Eg a Varos. A second Hungarian dance, a circle dance for men and women, called the Olahos, highlighted dancers that included Tanya King and Nicole Smith. Following the dancing, everyone joined in for a Hungarian sing-a-long led by Vicky Mocsary. To commemorate this occasion, each honoree (those of Hungarian descent, ages 75 and older) were recognized and given a certificate from the AHSCA. Our own president, Jim King, was among the honorees at this event! The honorees then lined up for a group photograph to be taken. Each honoree will receive a copy of this photo as a memento. Another highlight of the afternoon was when door prizes were handed out. Ethel Filczer Hoover, who is 94 years old, received a beautiful floral centerpiece for being the oldest honoree present at this event. Stephen King from Kempner, Texas, received a door prize for the honoree who came the farthest to attend the Heritage Day Celebration! The crowd received a special treat at the conclusion of the program when the Daisy Girl Scouts, Troop 421, sang The Grand Old Flag. Rev. Dr. Stephens Sanders then blessed the food and all those present joined in to taste the goodies that were displayed on the food table. Among the delicious treats were some Hungarian pastries, such as kiflis and kalacs.

The Heritage Day Committee, Kathleen Green, Vicky Mocsary, Julia Ourso, and Margaret Resetar, would like to thank all those people who helped make this event possible! Many, many thanks goes to all of the people who donated food or helped in various other ways at this event. This could not be done without all of you!

PHOTO OF THE HONOREES FROM THE 2003 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE DAY CELEBRATION:

Front Row Seated: Alice Vargo Hamilton, Helen Chaucer Galladora, Ruby Petho, Theresa Friedman Ivanyisky,
Anna Vassil Friedman, Eleanor Yager Bates, Ethel Koles Prokop, Pearl Shaffer Manchac, Bertha Papp Vicknair

Second Row Seated: Ethel Filczer Hoover, Mary Nemeth Gaydos, Mary Mocsary Pauli, Helen Fekete Nyeki,
Velma Petho Kovach, Irene Lezu Good, Mary Bayus Kropog, Anna Bayus Gubancsik, Helen Berey Broussard,
Helen Glodan Kerek, Annie Nagy Kuhn

Third Row Seated: Irene Yuhasz Troyan, Mary Yuhasz Clement, Rose Kovach Kreko, Elizabeth Ujvari Salessi,
Steve King, Anna Ujvari Odor, Ruby Shaffer Drude, Helen Prokop Jenkins, Ethel Beregi Erdey, Steve Horvath,
Mary Erdey Anderson, Tony Ujvari, Anna Beregi  Kinchen

Standing: Joe Olah, Anna Vargo Bankston, Margaret Ivanyisky Resetar (back), Goldie Bartus Hudson, George Lezu, Margaret Koles Lala, Augustine Matusicky, Nick Erdey, Andy Lezu, Louis Chemay, Joe Prokop,  Zoltan Koleszar, Louis Bartus, Paul Sziszak, Alex Sziszak, Andy Gubancsik, Louis Vargo, Joe Kropog, Jim King,
Mary Ann Glodan Wax, John Boros, Jimmy Beregi, Raymond Blahut, Alex Yuhasz, John Erdey
 
 

2002 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE DAY CELEBRATION

The Hugarian Heritage Day celebration took place on Sunday, June 2, 2002 at St. Margaret Catholic Hall near Albany, Louisiana. Hungarians from the local community and surrounding area came together to celebrate this special day. Some former residents of the area came from as far away as Austin, Texas to attend the festivities. The program began at 2:00 P.M., when Victoria Mocsary led the crowd in the singing of the Star-Spangled Banner. Mrs. Helen Fekete Nyeki then the singing of the Hungarian National Anthem. AHSCA president, Jim King, welcomed all in attendance and introduced the guest speaker, Dr. Stephen Gergatz, the Honorary Hungarian Consul for Louisiana. Each Hungarian Honoree, those ages 75 and older of Hungarian descent, was given a button to wear proclaiming that they were an honored guest at this event. Each honoree was presented individually with a certificate that they could take home and frame, if desired. All guest in attendance were treated to Hungarian dances, led by Sue Nyeki Martin. Father Leo Guillot of St. Margaret Church led the invocation and the blessing of the food. When the program ended, refreshments, which included Hungarian pastries, such a kifi and kalacs, were served.

PHOTO OF THE HONOREES FROM THE 2002 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE DAY CELEBRATION:

Heritage Highlights from 2001
Hungarian Heritage Day, which took place on Sunday, June 10th, at St. Margaret Catholic Hall, was an astounding success! About 120 people, which included forty-two honorees and their families, attended the celebration (in spite of the weather). The festivities began at 2:00 P.M. when the AHSCA singers welcomed the crowd with the song, “Jó napot kivánok.” Everyone then joined in to sing the “Star-Spangled Banner” and “A Magyar Himnusz,” (the Hungarian National Anthem). AHSCA president, Jim King, welcomed everyone and thanked them for attending. Guest speaker, Dr. Stephen Gergatz, Honorary Consul for Louisiana for the Republic of Hungary, spoke earnest words of encouragement as he expressed great pride that community members were continuing to preserve their Hungarian culture, especially with the Hungarian Harvest Dance, which includes a series of dances, most of which are no longer performed in Hungary at this present time. The honored guests, those of Hungarian descent ages 75 and older, were then recognized by Victoria Mocsary, and each was presented with a certificate bearing the seal of the AHSCA. A group picture was taken by Jim King to be sent to each honoree. Dressed in colorful Hungarian costumes, Sue Martin, Louis Monic, Thomas Mocsary, and Chris Thornhill, performed a series of Hungarian dances that included parts of the Hungarian Harvest Dance. After the dancing was complete, Victoria Mocsary led the crowd in a Hungarian sing-a-long, which included old-time favorites, such as “Piros, Piros, Piros” and “Részeg Vagyok Rozsám.” After door prizes were given out, Betty Gill and Helen Nyeki, wearing military attire, presented a skit to the song of “Kapitan Uram.” The Reverend Father Leo Guillot, of St. Margaret Catholic Church, led the invocation, benediction and blessing of the food. Louis Monic entertained the crowd with Cajun music while refreshments, which included Hungarian pastries, were being served. A ten-dollar prize (donated by the Hungarian Settlement Historical Society) was awarded to Helen Ujvari for translating the Hungarian writing on the cake, which was made by Juliana Roberson.
                                    
Dr. Stephen Gergatz, Honorary Hungarian
Consul for Louisiana, addresses the Heritage                                Heritage Day Honorees for 2001.
Day crowd at St. Margaret Catholic Hall.

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