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Hungarikums and national values are important to us not only for their preservation. They represent our uniquely Hungarian characteristics, helping us to survive, said Minister of Agriculture István Nagy at the meeting of the Hungarikum Committee, where the Collection of Hungarikums was expanded by three items, and the Collection of Hungarian Values (also called the Hungarian Repository of Values) was enriched with two new items.
The Agriculture Minister noted that with these new items, the Hungarian nation has been further enriched and strengthened. “At all levels of the Hungarikum initiative, we are striving to strengthen the fabric of our nation and our national identity,” he added. Under the decisions made on Tuesday, the carriage (kocsi), a transport solution of Hungarian origin that has increased the comfort and speed of road transport for 500 years, has been included in the Hungarikum Collection.
The first accurate illustration of the Hungarian carriage, 1568. Photo via Wikipedia.
Another new Hungarikum is szaloncukor (usually made of fondant, covered by chocolate), an indispensable part of Christmas
and an important product of the Hungarian confectionery and sweets industry since its appearance in the 19th century.
Also on the list is the Aranyfácán tomato paste from Hatvan (northern Hungary), which is known worldwide and is made exclusively from tomatoes grown on Hungarian soil.
The Aranyfácán tomato paste. Photo via Facebook/Aranyfácán Product Kft.
Among the new items included in the Collection of Hungarian Values is Pápai ham (pápai sonka), a famous product of the Pápai meat industry, which has become world famous. The collection will also be extended to include the noon bell (déli harangszó), which is an everyday chime ordered to commemorate the triumph of the Siege of Belgrade (Nándorfehérvár, 1956). The “Pulsatio Meridiana,” the tolling of the bells at noon was declared by Pope Callixtus III on June 29, 1456, saying that “a sign should be given to the Christians to pray for those who are fighting against the Turks.” The believers were called upon to pray for John Hunyadi, general and governor of the kingdom of Hungary from 1446 to 1452, and his troops to be able to stop the Ottoman Empire’s invasion and expansion into Europe.
Sándor Wagner: The Sacrifice of Titus Dugovics (1853), a painting commemorating the Siege of Belgrade. Photo via Wikipedia.
Minister István Nagy stressed that the Hungarikum initiative goes beyond the preservation of values and is of national political significance. Exploring, promoting and preserving our national values strengthens our nation’s resilience and self-esteem. The Hungarikums and the new elements of the Collection of Hungarian Values will further enrich the image of Hungarians at home and abroad, contributing to the further strengthening of our sense of value and self-esteem, i.e. our identity, the politician added.
The decision of the Hungarikum Committee has increased the number of items in the Hungarikum Collection to 92, and the Collection of Hungarian Values now contains 154 outstanding national values.
Via MTI; Featured image via Pixabay