Hungarian Living

Hey there! You are listening to the Hungarian Living podcast where we explore all sorts of things that revolve around Hungarian heritage. Today we are talking a bit about tours to Hungary and Transylvania and, specifically, our tours to Hungary and Transylvania through our other business, Magyar Living Tours, so, stick around. Since we have […]

During the Christmas season in many families in Hungary, the Bethlehem players visit the homes of relatives and friends, bringing to them the story of Christmas. Each boy and girl has a special part in re-creating the Bethlehem scene.

asting Hungarian food, Hearing Hungarian language, learning about Hungarian history or seeing Hungarian folkart patterns can spark curiosity and questions about heritage. You don't have to know any of these things perfectly yourself to encourage others! When you share something that interests you, your excitement might draw others in. And from there you might find that it leads to an interest and from there you might find that someone becomes enthusiastic about discovering more.

Episode 80 This is part 7 of the icipici series of Celebrating Christmas with Hungarian Style on the Hungarian Living Podcast. Food traditions are always important around the holidays. This episode has an observation and a little bit of encouragement to continue cooking Hungarian food and teaching others how to do it, too! Have you […]

I encourage you to bake some of these cookies and invite some friends or cousins over for an adult mézeskalács decorating party. Of course, the kids can be a part of this too, but, sometimes its nice to have some mulled wine and have a creative party with some adults you enjoy spending time with!

You might want to start a tradition of having palacsinta on Christmas morning or the day after Christmas or whenever you have special guests visiting from out of town. As far as I am concerned, palacsinta is good for any time!

I grew up hearing lovely Christmas carols in Hungarian. I am sure hearing the sounds of Hungarian — and repeating them — has helped me in my pronunciation as I have been more intentional about learning Hungarian in the last several years. I am thankful my mom played these songs during the Christmas season every year. Hearing the songs brings back some nice memories.

Take some time to think about your favorite traditions and what and how your house plans to celebrate. Write down the ones that were most meaningful to you as a child. If you get together with family and friends, it might be an interesting discussion!

Szaloncukor is a Hungarian candy that is wrapped in foil and can be hung on the Christmas tree. It is customary in Hungarian homes to hang these beautifully wrapped candies on the Christmas tree as a decoration. Traditionally,

December 6th is the name day of Miklós, and children especially love this day because for them it is Mikulás Nap. The Hungarian Santa, called Mikulás, visits children on December 6th, St. Nicholas Day.

Find other ways to minimize your daily routine. Do not bring along strongly scented perfumes or lotions. If you are traveling with a group of people, the chances are very high that someone will have a perfume allergy. But, even if they don't, just remember YOUR favorite scent may not be someone else's. And if everyone wears their favorite scent – oh boy. It just gets to be too much!

Episode 72 This is part 7 of the icipici series of Traveling to Hungary. Today we are going to talk just a bit about cell phones and cell phone plans. There are so many ways think about this that I am going to give you the questions you should be asking your cell phone provider before you go on a trip. They are the questions I ask each time I go overseas because these little international plans change quite frequently. They raise the prices, they give you more features, and sometimes I just get overwhelmed about all the options. The bottom line for me is I need to be sure I can make international calls if a participant on one of our tours has a problem. I know I can probably access wifi a little bit every day, but I don't really want to check email or text people unless it is an absolute emergency. I want to be as present as possible on the tour with the people in the group and engaged in what we are doing for the day. I don't get to Hungary very often and I want to enjoy every moment! When I am at a hotel and if I have some downtime and want to check in, I can even do that if I am on airplane mode. What do you need to do? Get to know your phone and get to know your plan. I have even printed out the instructions about how to do it in case I forget a step. Believe me, if you hit the wrong button while you are traveling, you can spend a lot of your data in a very short amount of time and not even know. Don't count on others to know what is going on with your phone and your plan. You have to be the one who knows because you are the one who pays that bill. And it is no fun having surprises when it comes to a crazy international charge. Contact your cell phone provider and ask them about their international plans. Is it a daily rate? A monthly rate? Are there different data options to choose from? Ask them about the countries you are visiting, including your layover country. And ask them to email you about the step by step instructions on how to make sure your phone is ready for an international trip. And bring along a copy of that when you travel to refresh your memory! One thing I do recommend is to download google maps to your phone if you are bringing one along so you don't have to use data to look at a map. But be sure you understand how that works. When you are exploring, it is a good idea to have a little map with you—either a printed one or the one on your phone! Check out all our upcoming tours at Magyar Living and contact us at tours@magyarliving.com if you want to check out one of our Zoom sessions all about our tours to Hungary or Transylvania. We will have links to our tours and the ways to contact us in the show notes. We have one more tip coming up. Stay tuned.

EPISODE 71 This is part 6 of the icipici series of Traveling to Hungary on the Hungarian Living Podcast. Some people have said to me “I don't need a travel agent and I don't need travel insurance.”  I will share my thoughts about this in this episode! Have you noticed? Even making your way across the USA by plane is a bit crazy these days. If you are skilled at making flight reservations and you have travel points you want to use, by all means, make your own reservations. But when it comes to flying, you have a few things to consider like: is a direct flight is available? How long is a reasonable layover? How do you plan to get to your hotel once you get off the flight? I recommend you arrive a day or two ahead of schedule if you are joining a tour. This gives you a moment to rest a recuperate from the flight and it builds in a little cushion in case your flight gets delayed. And trip/travel/tour insurance? Definitely look into it. In most cases, if you have a pre-existing condition, you need to purchase your insurance within 10 days or less of your flight or tour deposit, whichever happened first. When you buy travel insurance be sure you know what it covers! It will take a minute to sort through all of your options, but just remember, insurance is designed to give you piece of mind. And, if you plan on doing a bit of travel within a year, consider an annual plan. We recommend insurance because when we send the money over to Hungary and Transylvania for our deposits, in most cases they are non-refundable. That means we do not get any money back if you don't show up. We cannot return what we don't have. There is a time frame for cancellations on any tour you take so be sure to ask what those details are whether you are traveling with us or someone else. If you want to spend a day or two traveling to your ancestral village, contact me! We love helping people explore the regions where their parents, grandparents and great grandparents came from! Check out all our upcoming tours at MagyarLiving.com and contact us at tours@magyarliving.com if you want to check out one of our Zoom sessions all about our tours to Hungary or Transylvania.

Episode 70 This is part 5 of the icipici series of Traveling to Hungary on the Hungarian Living Podcast. Some people have asked me, “Isn't everything worth seeing in Hungary in Budapest? Is it necessary to go the countryside?” Budapest us an amazing city to visit. But, as I like to say, the magic is in the countryside. There is so much to see and do in Budapest you can explore and get along pretty well only knowing English. But, consider finding a way to get into the countryside. It will give you a much deeper appreciate for the country, as a whole. It's true, Budapest is romantic and gorgeous and full of incredible history. But the countryside is full of people, my kind of people. The regular Joes who live and work and play in the villages and small towns. I think the villages resonate with me because that is where my ancestors came from. Maybe that is why I felt comfortable in small town Nebraska for so many years – it was in my genes! It does get a little more complicated setting up a travel plan outside of Budapest. But it is completely worth going. If you love to plan the details of a trip, go for it! Some people love planning everything – vehicle rentals and hotels and all that. We have done it and it takes a lot of work. Actually, I should say my husband did it. But, he did consider everyone traveling (our four kids) and asked them each to come up with a few things that were important for them to see in this once in a lifetime (or so we thought) trip. Getting those who are joining you on the trip to chip in an idea or two is a good way to get them engaged in the processl The special places our kids picked out were put into the itinerary. But the memorable moments were from things that were unplanned or discovered along the way. This exact same thing has happened to us a time or two on our tours as well. We have a plan and then there is an adjustment in the plan. I have figured out that I don't like to be in the nitty gritty details of the plans. I like coming up with the big picture and trusting the details will be covered by the person who loves that sort of thing. I like building in some flexibility so that adjustments can be made. But I am a person who can learn and have fun in many different situations, and I like to allow for spontaneity. A little down time is fine. A change in plans is to be expected. I like to have a rough sketch of a plan and then see what happens if I am traveling on my own. My husband likes to have a few more details fleshed out. Both approaches are completely valid and have their strong points. If nailing down the details and following up with them is too exhausting, you might be a candidate for one of our tours. We spend 2/3rds of our time in the countryside, exploring a region and getting to know what it has to offer. My tour partner and I work out all the details and you can relax and have all the fun. So, start thinking about how long you plan to be in Hungary. And then work back from there. If you only have three days, enjoy Budapest, but plan on a return trip when you can stay longer. My personal opinion is you should plan on at least 10 days in Hungary and even that isn't enough time, but it is a great start. I think of it as a bit of a soak. It takes time to absorb the way of life. It takes time to get familiar with your surroundings – the language, the signs, the architecture, the history, the transportation options, and the culture. And you do need a lot of time to ponder the flavorful foods and beverages. I don't believe you do Hungary justice – or any country for that matter – when you run in and run out and say “CHECK it off my list, I've been there”. I think it is important to experience it a little. And, if you have family from Hungary, see if you can get close to where they lived. And, guess, what? We can help with that, too! Check out all our upcoming tou

Episode 69 Szia! This is part 4 of the icipici series of Traveling to Hungary. Are planning to take one of our trips to Hungary or Transylvania or you are doing your own thing? Either way, today we are covering some important money things to consider as you plan your trip. What do we need to think about when it comes to money? Well, first of all, if you haven't traveled in a while, traveler's checks are just not the thing at all anymore. Don't do it. It will set you up for all kinds of challenges. Hungary is a part of the European Union so you can use Euros in Budapest. But I really recommend you get familiar with the Hungarian Forint. If you go out to the countryside, that is really the currency they will be using. I have only ever used forints when I have traveled to Hungary. It's truly the local currency. It takes a little getting used to but with a little cheat sheet of some USD – HUF conversions, you will soon find yourself able to understand how much you are paying for things. I always have some cash with me. And I don't get it all exchanged when I arrive. I always take more than I think I need. It's ridiculous to buy a scoop of ice cream with a credit card. And when you are out in the countryside and visiting small vendors, believe me, it is rare that they are set up to receive credit cards. You know every transaction comes with a fee that gets assessed to that little business. Do yourself a favor and do them a favor, pay in cash. I never exchange money at the airport. The exchange rate is absolutely not in our favor at all. But, if you think you have to have $20 or $30 worth of Hungarian money in your pocket, you can do it. But unless you are flush with cash, you shouldn't go that route for large exchanges. There are money exchange places all over Budapest and the rates are much better than at the airport. Personally, I would rather be generous with my money in other ways and not at the airport. Get your money exchanged in Budapest before you go out to the countryside. It isn't so easy to find places to exchange money once you leave the big city. It isn't impossible, but it is just a good idea to have it settled before you leave town. You might be able to get some money exchanged through your bank before you leave. I have never done that so I don't know about the exchange rates or fees associated with that but, if you want to explore that option, it might be one for you. Just be ready to do that at least a month in advance. Give the system time to work. ____ I always have a credit card with me. Sometimes 2, just in case one decides to not cooperate. One time when I was traveling to Atlanta, all three of my credit cards were unusable. They were concerned that I was traveling away from my home state of Indiana. But a month earlier there were no questions when I used my cards internationally. That type of inconsistency forces me to have a back up plan to my back up plan. It's a bit of a hassle but as much of a hassle as being stuck with no money. One nice thing about traveling with us is you have two meals covered on each full day. So, you know you won't go hungry. But, it is a bit of a pain. I only use Visa or Mastercard when I travel. Discover and American Express cards aren't really popular or well known. Maybe they have high fees for the vendor, I don't know but it isn't worth having a card along that may or may not be used so I just don't mess with those kinds of cards. ____ I always contact my credit card company and tell them all the countries I will be traveling to and when. Even the countries I will simply have a layover in at the airport. You just never know when I short layover will become a long one. If you haven't set up a pin code for your cards, I would recommend it. I set the same pin for both cards, that way I am not trying to figure out which card has

Episode 68 Szia! This is part 3 of the icipici series of Traveling to Hungary. If you are planning to take one of our trips to Hungary or Transylvania or you are doing your own thing, we will be covering some important things to consider as you plan your trip. This time we are talking about documenting your journey. I have mixed feelings about having cell phones on a trip. There are some great cameras on cell phones and that is probably my favorite thing about having a phone along. And while it is awesome to be able to take amazing photos, it is also very distracting — for the photo taker.  Some people actually miss out on the here and now experience because they are taking a lot of photos. I know, it is a hard call. I take photos a lot – for ideas, for memories, for promotional brochures. There are times I just have to remind myself that I don't always need to have a photo for everything – in fact, that's why journals are a good idea! A photo does give a great visual but it can't use your own words to communicate your thoughts and emotions and the other details of your experience. Do yourself a favor, experience where you are without always needing all the photos and consider keeping a daily journal of your trip. I suggest taking notes in a tiny, portable notebook you can have with you during the day. Then at the end of the day, do a longer recap of the day. Every day you will have so many experiences that it is best to write them down each evening. Or, if you tend to wake up in the wee hours of the morning, grab your notebook and find a quiet place to think your thoughts and write out your experiences! If you visited your grandparents' village and walked around, how did that feel? What did it leave you wondering? If you walked into a butcher shop and you inhaled the amazing aroma of the smokey meats, did it remind you of something from your younger years? If you are traveling with an elderly parent, what was it like watch them reconnect with a family member? Did they start telling you stories you hadn't heard before? How might you share those stories with others? Of course, there is nothing like being there and hearing the stories first hand, but try to recapture something of the experience before life gets crazy and you forget yourself. Do you see what I am trying to say? There isn't always a photo captured for these types of emotions. But thinking them over and putting them to paper – even if just to say it was indescribable paints a picture for the reader. And we don't always know who the reader is or when they might be pouring over these memories. As you think about documenting your journey, there is no right or wrong way. There are advantages to each. Just remember to be present and experience it! If you spend too much time behind a camera or in a phone, you will definitely miss out on a few things. Would you like more information on our upcoming Zoom chat about our tours to Hungary and Transylvania? It's free and there is no obligation to sign up for a tour. It's a just a way for you to meet us and see if our tour structure is something that works for you! Email Tours@MagyarLiving.com for a link to the next session coming up! Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this podcast, Stay tuned for Part 4 of the Icipici edition of the Hungarian Living Podcast all about Traveling to Hungary. we also have Icipici podcasts on Getting Started with Genealogy and Getting Started with Hungarian. Be sure to check them out wherever you listen to podcasts!!

Episode 67 Szia! This is part 2 of the icipici series of Traveling to Hungary. And if you are planning to take one of our trips to Hungary or Transylvania or you are doing your own thing, we will be covering some important things to consider as you plan your trip. So take notes. Today we're talking about walking and why it is a good idea to start now in anticipation of a trip. It's a good idea to start adding extra walking steps into your days if you are planning any international travel. It might come in handy as early as at the airport where you might be required to change terminals or run like crazy because your gate changed at the last minute. Budapest certainly has a great transportation system, but if you only travel by bus, taxi, tram or metro you will be missing out on a lot. In fact, you might spend more time trying to understand all that, especially if you don't speak Hungarian then you would if you just decided a nice walk will get you to where you want to go, I love every form of travel and there are certainly benefits to each. But there are some hidden gems in places where you have to walk. Of course, you should check in with your doctor first, but most people can add more walking into their day and their doctor won't mind at all. In fact, if you can start taking the stairs more often, that will come in handy too. There are not necessarily elevators in every building that you might end up visiting. On our tours, we might we find ourselves in a medieval castle, in a palace, or taking a stroll in a vineyard. Cobblestone streets are fairly common place and certainly add to the charm of Hungary. And don't forget, you will be faced with a lot of amazing food decisions. Planning to do a little extra walking will help offset your calor intake, if you know what I mean! Are you planning to travel with a buddy? Don't forget to talk to them about adding more movement into their every day! Travel is more fun when you are in better shape! Would you like more information on our upcoming Zoom chat about our tours? It's free and there is no obligation to sign up for a tour. It's a just a way for you to meet us and see if our tour structure is something that works for you! Email Tours@MagyarLiving.com for a link to the next session coming up this month! Stay tuned for Part 3 of the Icipici edition of the Hungarian Living Podcast all about Traveling to Hungary. Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this podcast, we also have Icipici podcasts on Getting Started with Genealogy and Getting Started with Hungarian. Be sure to check them out wherever you listen to podcasts!! Want more from Hungarian Living? Visit our website and sign up for our e-newsletters or catalog in the Contact area!

Episode 66 Hello hello! It's another icipici series on the Hungarian Living podcast. This time we focus on Traveling to Hungary! What do you need to know? Even if you have visited to Hungary before, we are talking about important things like passports, travelers insurance, credit cards and local currency, flights, phone plans, and all the ways it might be helpful to prepare for travel, so stick around! This is part 1 of the icipici series of Traveling to Hungary. And if you are planning to take one of our tours to Hungary or Transylvania or you are doing your own thing, we will be covering some important things to consider as you plan your trip. But first, I just want to say how exciting it is to see all the countries that are represented in our podcast statistics. Of course, we always expect listeners from the United States and Canada because there are so many, many people with Hungarian heritage in these countries. But we also have listeners in Hungary, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, China, and many more! It's so exciting see where our listeners are listening from and hear from them! We love it! So, let's talk about travel! My first question for you is: Do you have a passport? If not, and you want to travel internationally, don't wait any longer to apply! It takes a little time to work through the process. There is a link in the show notes with all the details on how to apply! It isn't complicated but it takes a little time. So get moving on that. https://www.usa.gov/passport If you already have a passport, do you know where your passport is? If you have recently moved or purged, you might have set your passport in a safe place. In fact, I need to make sure I know where mine is because I haven't needed it for years. Ugh. And we did just move. I know exactly where it was in the old house but in this house? Hm. I need to think about it for a moment. I can't say I can put my fingers on it in the next 5 minutes. Be sure you know where your passport is! When does your passport expire? It is very important to know the expiration date when you are making travel plans. For example, let's say you have a passport that expires on August 1, 2023. You might think that you can travel internationally and then be back by mid July 2023 and everything is great. Nope! You need a 6 month cushion on your passport. So, before you even think about traveling, get ahold of a passport if you don't already have one. If you have a passport, make sure you know where it is? And be sure to double check the expiration date of your passport. Are you planning to travel with a buddy? Don't forget to talk to them about their passport, too! You want to be ready to travel when the opportunity arises, and the stress of passport delays or extra fees are no fun! Alright, we covered enough for today. Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Icipici edition of the Hungarian Living Podcast all about Traveling to Hungary. Would you like more information on our upcoming Zoom chat about our tours? It's free and there is no obligation to sign up for a tour. It's a just a way for you to meet us and see if our tour structure is something that works for you! Email Tours@MagyarLiving.com for a link to the next session coming up this month! Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this podcast, we also have Icipici podcasts on Getting Started with Genealogy and Getting Started with Hungarian. Be sure to check them out wherever you listen to podcasts!

Episode 65 We are wrapping up our series on Getting Started with Hungarian! This is the last official episode in the series! Szai! Welcome to Episode 65 of the Hungarian Living podcast! This is part 8 of the Icipici Series on Getting Started with Hungarian. If you are tuning into this episode first, I recommend you go back and listen to the whole series. Remember, they are just Icipici so they won’t take a lot of time! Episode 58 Part 1 Episode 59 Part 2 Episode 60 Part 3 Episode 61 Part 4 Episode 62 Part 5 Episode 63 Part 6 Episode 64 Part 7 So you can have all the things that will help you get in a good space for Getting Started in Hungarian. It is important to be squared away and get started on the right foot! But first, let's talk about the danger of perfecting a phrase that might get you into trouble! There have been numerous times I have been to a Hungarian festival and someone comes up to me and says “Jo napot! Hogy vagy?” which means, “Hello, how are you?' Well, I can answer that with a question so I often do because I am always excited to practice my speaking skills.. And then they typically say “Well, that's all I've got. That's all I know” And the conversation switches to English. And that is perfectly fine. I love that they know that much. In fact, I used to be able to only really say that much because I heard it over and over again. We catch onto things quickly in those younger years. But wouldn't it be fun to get to a place where you can go further than that and be able to respond to a few niceties? Maybe be able to ask a few questions and have a sense of the answer? My husband, who is not Hungarian, does pretty well saying: Nem beszelek magyarul. Which means: I do not speak Hungarian. Unfortunately, as he is saying that, he is indeed speaking Hungarian and that actually gets him in trouble. I guess he needs to change his answer to: Csak egy kicsit beszélek magyarul. Which means: I only speak a little Hungarian. My caution to you is, if you are going to perfect a phrase, be prepared to hear the next thing in Hungarian. Those who speak fluently or link to practice will be so excited to hear that you speak Hungarian that they will definitely want to continue the conversation. Let's talk about how to do that. There are a lot of apps that you can download and the free versions can be very helpful. I don't pay for all of the tools that I use for my Hungarian learning adventure. I pick and choose. I have used the free version of DuoLingo the most, but there are also other ones like Quizlet and Drops. I love Catch Budapest's One Hungarian Word a Day.  Sometimes I listen to Hungarian folk songs by groups like Holviola and

Episode 64 Szia! Welcome to Episode 64 of the Hungarian Living podcast! This is part 7 of the Icipici Series on Getting Started with Hungarian. We are still talking about the Hungarian language. And Anna Hamp is back with us again. Today let's talk about some of the common phrases we would use with folks who speak Hungarian. How do you say: Good Morning. Jó reggelt. Good Afternoon. Jó napot. Good Evening. Jó estét. Good Night. Jó éjszakát. Jó éjt. Thank you. Köszönöm. Köszi. Kösz. Cheers! Egeségedre! By the way, if you want to practice speaking Hungarian, we are offering our dialogue sessions again — starting early in September, so contact me right away if you want to jump in on the fun! We will talk about more phrases you can use right away in the class. To here a detailed explanation of our Hungarian Dialogue Sessions CLICK HERE for Episode 17 of our podcast. Thank you, Anna for joining me on the podcast. Check out our class offerings HERE and give us a call at 1-800-786-7851 if you want to talk about what might fit best for you!

Szia! Welcome to Episode 63 of the Hungarian Living podcast! We are still talking about the Hungarian language and we have Anna Hamp back with us today for another couple of tips. So Anna, what do you have for us today? The importance of vowel harmony with a little explanation Gender (or lack of it) — what makes that easy but, also, what makes that a challenge If you learned Hungarian from your grandparents and you are in your mid twenties or older you might find that the language isn't quite the same. Want to take Hungarian lessons? Are you studying Hungarian on your own but want to be able to ask a live instructor a few questions? Check out our class offerings Hungarian Lessons for Beginners Hungarian Lessons for those who already have been working in the MagyarOK books Hungarian Language Clinic Hungarian Dialogue Sessions Hungarian Review Sessions Hungarian History and Culture I The Sights of Hungary

Episode 62 Hey there! This is Part 5 of the Icipici Series about Getting Started with Hungarian. Wowee guys, this is Episode 62. I can hardly believe it! Have you checked out our earlier episodes? We cover a lot of ground! So, if you are new to the podcast, you have some catching up to do. Since this is Part 5 of Getting Started with Hungarian, be sure to listen to Episodes 58, 59, 60, and 61. They are short and sweet – that is where we get the name icipici from – and they will get you thinking and all caught up in this Icipici series. For the next several episodes, I will be talking with one of my Hungarian instructors, Anna Hamp. If you have been listening to the podcast, you might recognize her voice from the YouTube video I recommended last episode titled Learning the Hungarian Alphabet which is posted on the Hungarian Living YouTube Channel. Or if you have been listening to the Hungarian Living podcast for a while now you might recognize her from way back in Episode 17 where we talk about our Hungarian Dialogue Sessions. By the way, if you want to practice speaking Hungarian, we are offering these dialogue sessions again — starting early in September,  so contact me right away if you want to jump in on the fun! We don't offer them all the time. If you want to become more familiar with Hungarian, you need to speak it. You have to keep practicing. We are in the middle of a our icipici series about Getting Started in Hungarian. So far I have talked about how important it is to know your WHY because it will help keep one motivated as they are learning something new, like Hungarian. But I also covered how knowing a bit about one's learning style helps the process. And we have covered the importance of knowing the correct pronunciation of the Hungarian alphabet. And now we are here! So, let's talk about a couple of important pronunciation tips. stress always on the first syllable pronouncing every syllable and sound lengthen double the length of the double letters And if you have questions about how we do things in our language classes, send me a message at Liz@HungarianLiving.com we are starting new classes soon and would love to have you join us. Please subscribe to The Hungarian Living podcast and spread the word! Thanks for listening!

Episode 61 Hey there! This is Part 4 of the icipici edition of the Hungarian Living podcast on Getting Started with Hungarian. So, let me tell you, I have ALL KINDS of resources for learning Hungarian in my office. I have some oldies, like Irka Firka. I have curriculums from Debrecen and Pecs, I have a book and audio recordings from the Foreign Service Institute, and Pimsleur. Did I mention Complete Hungarian? Teach Yourself Hungarian? Hungarian the Easy Way? Hahahaha! Ok — That title cracks me up! Is there an easy way to Hungarian as an adult???  But really it isn't a bad resource. I just think it is a funny title. I have resources by Berlitz and Hippocrene and even some brainiac games for various ages. And, I have to mention Say it in Hungarian, Just Enough Hungarian the Hungarian Picture Dictionary, The Hungarian Bible for Children and countless dictionaries of all sizes. Cassette tapes? Cds? Mp3 files? Online links to programs? I've got em! So, let me just say that having resources is not my problem. I inherited about 75 % of the resources I have from my mom and the rest I have collected over the last 15 years or so. My mom knew how to speak, read, and write in Hungarian. She was an educator. And we caught a lot of Hungarian through the years, but she knew that it takes a special skill and/or training and a lot of patience to fully teach the Hungarian language. She also knew there were so many people struggling to learn it. She knew people could speak it but not know how to read and write it. And I have all sorts of projects she was collecting and working on as she was trying to figure out how to help solve the problem. Just because someone can speak and read and write in Hungarian doesn't mean they can teach it. For example, I speak English pretty well. But I am absolutely not an English teacher. In fact, I have learned a lot about the English language from my Hungarian instructors. Let's just say, English grammar wasn't my jam. There is something special about a person who understands and can explain things at my level. Not every trained teacher is a good one. And you don't have to be a trained teacher to be an effective one. So back to resources — I have enough resources. Having a few different ones is helpful because not every resource covers everything. Sometimes there is a concept that needs to be approached from a couple of different perspectives. There is no one curriculum or resource that does it all. And, just to clear the air up about a rumor – Rosetta Stone does not offer Hungarian. In addition to a few resources, I, personally, need two things. I need accountability. I need that steady appointment with another person. I need that commitment to connect with another person. I benefit from assignments, although I must confess, I don't always do them. And even though I am most often a visual learner, I need the Hungarian language in my ear in addition to being able to see the words and play with the letters. But, I also need a little skin in the game. It is worth it to me to pay out a little money because I know I will show up, even if I am not in the mood. And, a laborer is worthy of his hire. If someone is going to take time out of their day for me, I need to be there and not waste their precious time. And, I should be willing to pay them for their time. What resources do you have hanging around. Drag them out and dust them off. How can they be useful to you in your desire to study Hungarian? I know they can be useful. You just need to use them! But don't discount that regular, weekly appointment with a s

Episode 60 Hey there! This is Part 3 of the icipici edition of the Hungarian Living podcast on Getting Started with Hungarian. Last episode we discussed several things to think about as you are considering studying Hungarian. But, don't get frozen into a state of inaction by all of these options. It's important to know your why – what motivates you. And it is important to know some things about how you might like to learn, how often you like to engage with the language. Also, when can you study? That helps you decide if you will fit into a class. If you are really sharp at 3am, it might be hard to find a study buddy or class. The most important thing is to start somewhere knowing you might start and need to switch to a different method. You have to find the mix that works for you and your learning style. But start. Start with the alphabet. You can't go wrong learning it because you need to know it! And even if you think you know it, you could probably use a little refresher. So, let's talk a little about the Hungarian alphabet. It is a bit unusual, but it is pretty predictable, once you understand how it works! There is a link to our Hungarian alphabet project in the show notes. It is so important to really know the alphabet letters and the sounds. There are 44 letters are in the Hungarian alphabet and they each make a unique sound. In English we have 26 letters and we have many more sounds than that. So, you can get excited because each letter in Hungarian has a specific sound and it says its specific sound each and every time. There are no silent letters. Phew! Isn't that is a relief? This alphabet resource is more than just isolated sounds. There are words associated with it and letters that are in typical combinations. So, lest you think you have this all perfect, well, unless you have a lot of experience with the language, you likely don't so I bet you might benefit from a little review. And there is some vocabulary that you might not know. So check out our Hungarian Living You Tube Channel, subscribe, and look for Learning the Hungarian Alphabet – it is right there on the front page. And have a little fun getting to know or refreshing and refining your Hungarian. Next time, I'll talk about some of the language learning resources I have tried. And you can tell me which ones you have benefitted from! If you are interested in learning Hungarian, it might be because you have Hungarian heritage. If you do, you might want to take a listen to our Icipici series on Getting Started with Genealogy. Grab a notebook and check out Episodes 50-57 of The Hungarian Living Podcast! Thanks for listening!

Episode 59 Szia! This is Part 2 of the icipici edition of the Hungarian Living podcast on Getting Started with Hungarian. Last episode, I asked all sorts of questions about why you might want to learn Hungarian. It is important for you to think about your motivation because that is what will keep you going when things get difficult because things WILL get difficult. I promise you. Learning Hungarian isn't easy but I find it fun, challenging, and rewarding. I always circle back to my WHY. It helps me stay the course. My parents spoke Hungarian fluently and could also read and write in Hungarian. I have mentioned before that my great grandparents all came to the US between about 1880 and 1927 Most of my grandparents were born in Hungary and came over as children. so Hungarian was their first language. And they met and married their spouses and continued to teach their children Hungarian even though I don't know that anyone was planning on going back to Hungary. And so my parents kind of continued that but, if you have heard my story, you know that I was the third child born in the family. And I think there were other things that were more of a pressing for my family. But back to you thinking about your study of Hungarian. The next thing you want to consider if you want to study Hungarian is HOW, HOW OFTEN, and WHEN. Think about the time you have available to devote to the project. Can you spare a couple of hours a week? Or do you have time for this to be a full time job? And, of course, how much money is available to you for this endeavor? You can cobble together some free things to study, but it will take you some effort. You will have to spend the time figuring out if you like the format and if it is helping you achieve your goals. If you have more time than money, this is the way to go. There are apps for your smartphone. There are some instructional resources out there that are free. You can listen to music with lyrics on YouTube. If you have a little money for the project, you might want to spend some on small group lessons either in person or online, and then add the “freebies” to round out your approach. For example, some of the participants in our small group lessons meet an additional time each week as a study group. It doesn't cost more money because they are meeting together to work on the homework from class without their instructor. They share resources. And the one who understands the concept best can explain it if someone is confused. Of course, they know they can always talk to their instructor, too. It's just an extra point of connecting with the language. And they might participate in our Hungarian Dialogue Sessions or Hungarian Language Clinic or use one of the many apps for studying Hungarian. It might take a little bit of exploring to find your most useful combination. If you have a lot of money and you are available 15-40 hours a week, you might want to take a deep dive into an intensive online or in person class. As I mentioned before, I spent a month at the DNE but they have some language schools in Budapest and one in Pecs and probably in Szeged, as well. In fact, you can take a year off and study Hungarian for real either in Hungary or from the comfort of your own home. But, be sure to have some ibuprofen along with you. It was hard work for me to be engrossed in the language every day for 6+ hours. It's intense. I have done a deep dive in Debrecen at the Debreceni Nyari Egyetem for a month and I have also piddled around here and there over the last 15+ years. I have tried a lot of the free apps but, honestly, I always have questions because I don't always understand everything. I look for patterns. Sometimes I see them, and they aren't really there. I have certainly made the most progress with my language skills in the last two years by regularly engaging with the language.

Getting started with Hungarian Part 1 Icipici Edition Episode 58 Hello hello! It's another icipici edition of the Hungarian Living podcast. This time we are focusing on learning Hungarian! Even if you are currently studying Hungarian, we will cover some interesting material, so stick around! Hungarian is such an interesting language. I grew up hearing it around all around me in church, when my mom was on the phone, at Hungarian events, when people stopped over to visit, and events where there were other Hungarian speakers. In preparation for a semester long trip to Hungary in 1973, I went to Hungarian summer school in Ligonier, Pennsylvania at the Bethlen Home. I have bumped into a number of people through the years who attended this very same program, but not during the summer of 1973. I wonder how many years they had this summer program. Anyway, I have been around Hungarian all my life but was never forced to speak it fluently. It makes perfect sense. While they were both very active with the language, and knew how to speak, read, and write in Hungarian, they knew that just because one knows how to speak or speak read and write in Hungarian it doesn't mean that they know how to teach it. I think they knew their limits and this was just not where they chose to put their energy. Even though I am currently studying Hungarian, I support their decision! I never thought anything unusual about Hungarian being such a part of my life. It just was just there in the music, in the little songs we sang, in the conversations, in the names of the foods we ate, in the prayer we said together at Sunday lunch, and in the books around the house. I have the sounds of Hungarian in my brain and over the last 15 years or so I been intentional about learning more. In this series of Icipici podcasts, I am going to give you some simple ways to get started or refine your Hungarian language journey! There are so many resources out there and it is difficult to wade through what is most helpful. To start this series, let's think about your goals for learning Hungarian. Grab a notebook, start a document on your computer, and answer the following question: Why do you want to learn Hungarian? I am going to list a variety of scenarios. You might find that you have several reasons. Knowing your reasons will help you stay motivated! Do you want to be able to decipher genealogy records or correspondence from relatives that are in your stash of goodies? Do you want to communicate with relatives that only speak Hungarian? Are you looking to keep your brain sharp? Would it be helpful in the work you do? Do you have memories of Hungarian being spoken around the table and you trying to figure out what was being said? Do you know some little songs or rhymes your grandparent said and you want to know what they were about? Do you plan to travel to Hungary, and you just want to know a few phrases so you can be polite? Do you want to honor your parents or grandparents by exploring the language? Do you want to pass the language portion of your dual citizenship test? Are you comfortable speaking the language but, essentially illiterate and want to know how to read and write and understand the finer points of grammar and vocabulary? Have you adopted someone who speaks Hungarian, and you want to connect with them more deeply through language? Or do you have a thing for logical languages? Because, really, you don't have to have Hungarian heritage to study Hungarian! I have mentioned a lot of great reasons to study Hungarian, but I am sure there are more! What are your reasons? I would love to know. You can send an email to podcast@hungarianliving.com and tell me why you are intere

Hey there! This is Part 8 of the icipici edition of the Hungarian Living podcast on Getting Started with Genealogy I hope you have taken some time or plan to set aside some time to work through the other episodes and grab a notebook and maybe even a box to gather your genealogy information in one spot. And you might be thinking to yourself, what's next? Well, you will find that researching your family tree will open up a lot of doors. And each door gives you an opportunity to explore! I have a few recommendations for you as you are moving forward. So be sure to visit Hungarian Living and click on the podcast section for all the details on this (and the other episodes)! If you have not signed up for a free account for Family Search, you should do that right away. It is free and will be helpful for you as you research! The website is FamilySearch.org  If you are on Facebook, please join the Hungarian Living Genealogy Group! You will learn so much from the folks in this group! And, the great thing is that they are from around the world! So while you learn more about yourself, you might also learn about Hungarians as they moved about in other countries. It's fascinating! If you need some extra help with genealogy, you can purchase time with a researcher who can train you on how to use some of the genealogy websites out there. Or they can simply get you jump started on your research. You can purchase that through The Hungarian Store. We have a special product Hungarian Living Genealogy Pages – it helps you organize your family members and thoughts around your genealogy. It is available at The Hungarian Store. If you know some Hungarian or you wish you did, you are in luck because we are starting language lessons again! We have over 100 students learning Hungarian in small groups that meet for one hour at a variety of times during a week and at a variety of levels. Classes will start up again in August and will run for 14 weeks. Our students range in age from 25-80+ and, truly, that is a part of the fun! There is more information at TheHungarian Store dot com but I will have a link in the show notes. But hurry! Classes are starting soon! We have a Hungarian history class coming in September – it is a broad overview of the history of Hungary from the start to where it is now. And we have a class that highlights some great places to visit on your next trip to Hungary. I will have a link in the show notes but you can also visit The Hungarian Store and check out our online classes. As you keep digging into genealogy, it is very natural to want to travel to Hungary to “see for yourself” where your family line is from. We have our Magyar Living Tour schedule up at the Magyar Living website. We are offering three different tours in 2023 — two in Hungary and one in Transylvania — and we would love to have you join us. And finally, we have several other podcast episodes you should check out. And we will have links to these in the show notes or, if you follow or subscribe to the Hungarian Living podcast, you will be able to look for them! Of course, I recommend all of this Icipici series on Getting Started with Genealogy but don't forget to check out Episode 35 Genealogy with Les Josa

Hello hello! It's another icipici edition of the Hungarian Living podcast. If you are just tuning in for the first time, let me to encourage you to go back a few episodes to the first one in this series. Hey there! This is Part 7 of the icipici edition of the Hungarian Living podcast on Getting Started with Genealogy. If you have been working through this process with me, you have written down a few answers to some standard questions. But, the process has likely opened up a new world of other questions you have. As you look through the information you have gathered, do you notice where you might need to dig a little further? Do you know who might have additional information? Have you noticed a pattern of names in your family? If you are from a Hungarian family background, like me, you may notice that there are Hungarian names all along your family line. Then you might notice there are Hungarian nicknames or Americanized versions of names. Sometimes there are spelling changes. It's all these things that can lead to some challenges in genealogy research. In our family, our first names are all Americanized versions of a Hungarian name. And then we almost all have Hungarian middle names. My older brother grew up with a strong Hungarian nickname. His name is Charles but that is the English version of Karoly. And a Hungarian nickname that comes from Karoly is Karcsi. The cousins that are his age still refer to him as Karcsi and they have for 60+ years. It always throws me off because, by the time I (eight years younger) have any great recollection of his name, I think it was Charles or Chaz. And since he has been married, it seems that his name is Chuck. I, too, have had a lot of variations of Elizabeth. I guess this all goes to show that as names change over time – for many reasons – it might make it a little difficult to find or keep track of your people. Why do families Americanize their names? I think each family has their reasons – sometimes it has to do with fitting in a little better in the “new land”. But, it also might have come about in order to separate themselves from the other branch of the family. Some people do it for practical purposes. Our family name is a fairly common one Szabo S-z-a-b-o but it is routinely misspelled and mispronounced. Some days it doesn't seem to be worth the hassle to educate people on the correct pronunciation and spelling. If you have a very Hungarian last name, you know exactly what I am talking about. Sometimes it is just easier to simplify it. But maybe you don't even know that your last name is officially pronounced differently because your entire life it has been pronounced the “easier way”. Again, there are lots of reasons for that. And I am not criticizing those families who have chosen to change their names or adapt them. But there is something special that gets lost. And, pretty soon, no one is left who knows the original pronunciation or spelling. And sometimes that is how family members get lost, too. If you notice a variety of spellings of your family name through the generations, take note of them. That may come in handy as you continue your research! Be sure to check out The Hungarian Store for more resources as you explore your Hungarian heritage! If you need extra help with genealogy work and would like to hire someone to help you do some research, we have a two hour package available. Please click here for more information!

Hey there! This is Part 6 of the icipici edition of the Hungarian Living Podcast all about Getting Started with Genealogy. Today's assignment is a little different. I want to encourage you to seek out the oldest member of your blood relatives and ask them the same questions that you had to answer in the Part 1 of the icipici edition of Hungarian Living podcast on Getting Started with Genealogy. See what they know and if it can help you as you round out your family tree. Having conversations with aunts, uncles, and cousins can help piece together your family information. Some people hold very important clues or details that no one else does. That is why everyone's piece of the puzzle is important. Listen to Part 1! Be sure to check out Hungarian Living for more resources as you explore your Hungarian heritage! It’s packed with history, traditions, recipes, creative projects, and language learning tips! Stay tuned for part 7 of the icipici edition of the Hungarian Living podcast on Getting started with genealogy

Welcome back! This is Part 5 – of the icipici podcast on Getting Started with Genealogy. As you keep doing these assignments, you may be noticing that you are gathering some answers, but these may also be bringing some questions to mind. When you have a question, write it down! Maybe your questions have to do with why your family came to the place they settled. Why did they leave their country of origin? How did they travel? What was it like to be in a new place without extended family around? Today's assignment is for you to track down the full names and birthdates of your maternal and paternal grandparents. In fact, write down anything you know about them! Did they have siblings? What kind of work did they do? Did you ever meet them? Once you start working on your grandparents and learning about their family of origin, you are starting to make connections with extended family. Are there people who are alive and in your family tree but you haven't hardly heard a thing about them? Sometimes family members get lost when there is a death or divorce, but sometimes there are family disagreements. And, sometimes, there are situations that are so big and so unresolved that there is a permanent break in the connection. Of course, these people are still related, but there is no relationship. Unfortunately, these rifts can last for generations. Sometimes the separation is warranted. And sometimes it is just about some pride and stubbornness, and it completely changes the family structure. If you bump into something like this in your family, tread lightly but see if you can get to the root of it. If you are seeking to understand, you might get some answers. And if you want to do a little digging and reconnect, well, you might want to do that quietly at first. It may not be well received. But, there may be some unexpected treasures in the hands of the siblings of your grandparents or their children. Let's say you have a grandfather and he had two siblings. It's quite possible that photos of your grandfather or letters from him to his parents might be in the hands of the children of one of his siblings. Ask me how I know. If you tune into Episode 48 of the Hungarian Living Podcast Pictures and Old Letters you will hear about how we came upon some amazing treasures on my husband's side of the family. Of course, it is always tricky to be in the business of restoring family connections. But I think there can also be beauty in “burying the hatchet”. Sometimes the one who has done the offending doesn't even know the extent of the damage they caused. And, true, they may not even care. But, it is just something to think about as you are working through genealogy things. You are bound to run into something like this in your family tree! Be sure to check out The Hungarian Store for more resources as you explore your Hungarian heritage!

Today's assignment on the Icipici Edition of the Hungarian Living Podcast is for you to track down the birth and death locations of the people you listed in Part I. If you missed that assignment, here is a link to that first podcast in this series. Recently, I have spent time looking around for the burial plots of deceased family members and it is incredibly easy to lose track of where people are buried. It happens quickly. Of course, I have never been a big one to visit cemeteries. I'm not sure, but it might be because I have always lived quite a distance from where my people are buried. My grandmother had seven children all together, but only three lived to adulthood. I do know the cemetery the younger four are buried in, but I guess I want to know where in the cemetery they are. At this point, they are in unmarked graves. And, since they died when they were children, I never met them. Even though burying children was common back in those days, it was never was easy. The loss of these young ones definitely left some wounds in the family even if it was never formally discussed. So, as you are collecting names and birth places and death places, remember there may be some young ones that who lived their lives before you were born. Their names and details are a part of the fabric of your family and they are important to note. Where they are laid to rest also marks where the family lived during that time and that is also useful genealogy information. Be sure to check out Hungarian Living for more resources as you explore your Hungarian heritage! Be sure to sign up for our e-newsletters HERE!

Hey there! This is part 3 of the icipici edition of the Hungarian Living podcast on Getting Started with Genealogy. I bet you are wondering why we are doing all these icipici assignments. Well, let me tell you. If you have are interested in getting a handle on your genealogy and you don't know where to start, tackling these icipici assignments will help get you on your way! If you haven't listened to parts 1 and 2, be sure to do that! Part 1 Part 2 Today's assignment is for you to track down the religious affiliation of the people you listed out in Part 1 of this ici-pici podcast. Click on the links above to catch up! Knowing the religious affiliation of your people is important for a number of reasons, and particularly when you are trying to look through church records. Sometimes cemeteries are designated by religious affiliation. Sometimes knowing a religious affiliation helps understand more about the religious habits and rituals of our ancestral families. In general, the more we know about our families, the more light is shed on their lives and sometimes we not only understand them better, but it helps us understand ourselves! Be sure to check out The Hungarian Store for more resources as you explore your Hungarian heritage! Would you like extra assistance with your genealogy research? Check out our offer HERE!

Hi! This is part 2 of the icipici edition of the Hungarian Living podcast on Getting Started with Genealogy. Today's assignment is for you to track down the birthdates and death dates for the various people you listed in Part 1. If you missed that assignment, here is a link to that episode Getting Started with Genealogy Part 1. I am terrible with birthdays. If you are the person who absolutely expects me to remember your birthday every year, I am 100% sure I will disappoint you somewhere along the way. But, knowing birth and death dates is important for genealogy work. And sometimes it just offers you interesting information. For example, my husband, his sister, and his brother each have their birthdays within a 21 day period but, of course, their birth years are different. Their births were really clustered together on the calendar. On my side of the family, I have 3 siblings. My two older brothers have birthdays within two weeks of one another and my younger brother and I were born within two weeks of one another.  Does it mean a whole lot? Probably not, but it is interesting to notice potential patterns. When it comes to dates of death, pay attention. As you were growing up you may have noticed there was a somber time of year in your home but you had no idea it coincided with the anniversary of a death of a loved one. It isn't unusual that there is a pattern of solemness or sadness that casts a shadow on the family during what might ordinarily be a joyful time. Noting the death dates might help you recognize a pattern you didn't even realize was there. And while we are on the topic of death, obituaries often contain very interesting information about the life of the deceased. Anytime you have access to an obituary or even a simple prayer card, you may find important clues to life events that will help you in your research. Be sure to check out Hungarian Living for more resources as you explore your Hungarian heritage!

Today is Part I of the icipici edition of the Hungarian Living Podcast on Getting Started with Genealogy. There will be several icipici assignments relating to genealogy and, if you take a few moments to write down the answers, when all are done, you will have laid some important groundwork for your genealogy research. You will have documented what you already know, and you will also have a better sense of what might be good to know. Whether or not you are into genealogy, there are some things you should write down for other generations. If you don't have kids or siblings, it is still important. Why? Because you probably have first, second, or third cousins or other family members who may need or want the information, they just don't know it yet. And, let me tell you, no one knows your own family details like you do! But, even if there is no one else in your family to share the information with, your story is important! If you aren't much into this kind of stuff, don't worry, there will be more icipici podcasts on other topics! So, for now, find a notebook or start a document on your computer and answer the questions. And you might consider inviting a family member along on this journey. You can encourage each other to answer the questions and share it with one another. And the best news is that this is not limited to Hungarian heritage. The questions here apply to anyone who wants to get a start on recording more about their family details. What is your full name? What are your parents' full names? If you have siblings, what are their full names? If you have children, what are their full names? If you have a spouse, what is their full name? And that is it for today. See? This isn't necessarily too complicated. It's a start. And now that you have started, keep listening for the next assignments. Keep this notebook or document handy because we will be adding to it in upcoming episodes. It is ok if you don't know every answer to every question, write down what you do know and figure out who knows the other answers, ask them, and then right them down. All this information will give you a head start when you, or someone else, starts looking around for family information. This is a great cooperative project. Invite others in your family to listen and make their contribution. If you are a pro at genealogy and already have this information written down, Woohoo! Give yourself a high five! Be sure to check out The Hungarian Store for more resources as you explore your Hungarian heritage!

In this episode of the Hungarian Living podcast I visit with Cindy Dobo of Dobo's Delights, a bakery based in Piqua, Ohio but that ships around the U.S. Check out their website here: www.dobosdelights.com Follow them on Facebook: facebook.com/dobosdelights For more episodes of the podcast, check out our website: https://hungarianliving.com/podcast/ To shop The Hungarian Store, visit our website: https://thehungarianstore.com/ Check out Hungarian Living: https://hungarianliving.com/

Episode 48 Pictures and Old Letters Recently, I mentioned in one of our newsletters that we went to Pella, Iowa for the funeral of one my husband's aunts. The Vos side of the family is Dutch. Don is my husband and his grandmother was born in Holland and settled in this sweet Dutch community when she was a child. She grew up speaking Dutch. She married a Dutch guy and had seven children, one of which was Don’s father. The four daughters all married Dutch guys and raised their families nearby. The three sons all married outside of the Dutch world and left the “nest”. It’s a familiar story in many families. The Vos siblings were pretty close. So, when Don's dad, Wilbur, died in 1964 at the age of 37, it was a shock to everyone. Don's mom had two young children and was pregnant with the third. Wilbur's siblings maintained a strong connection with Don's mom and the kids and that connection continues today. They didn't let Hilda and her kids Don slip away from the family nor their heritage. I came in on the scene in 1985. Sadly, Hilda died in 1986, two weeks before Don and I were married. In fact, the Iowa families had to make a choice between attending Hilda's funeral and attending our wedding because they happened only two weeks apart. It was a crazy time. I am so thankful I was welcomed from the very start. Wedding gifts were Dutch Delft blue pottery. And then our kids were welcomed. And these aunts and uncles continued to encourage a connection within the family. When they were traveling nearby, they made a point to stop in and visit when they could. As a super special treat, they often brought delicious Dutch pastries along from the bakery when they visited. We love visiting Pella. It’s a great little town. Of course, what draws us there is the opportunity to visit with extended family. But, we also love the serious dose of Dutch everything that we get when we visit — from hearing the language to tulips everywhere to the Dutch last names to the windmill in town. We always need to visit the bakery to get some Dutch letters and other Dutch goodies. With so much Hungarian stuff going on in our lives, it’s easy to let the Dutch and German sides slip away, but we are determined not to. Those parts of our family’s heritage are just as important to honor. But, we don't get to Pella often enough, and this funeral was a great opportunity for the first cousins to reconnect. Don's Cousin Patty brought along old family photos from her mom that had Don's mom and dad in them, along with the grandparents. And I think it was cousin MaryLynne who brought along old letters her mom had that Don's mom, Hilda, wrote between 1964-1971. Guys, these are amazing treasures! We had no idea that these things were out there. But, the aunts saved them and now the cousins are passing them onto us. The funeral for Don's aunt celebrated the life of a wonderful person. Her husband died a few years ago but we were unable to attend the funeral. Thankfully, we were able to attend this funeral and connect with a lot of the cousins. We had a great time reminiscing and catching up. My point in telling you this story is mainly about the value of those who hold onto family members, even when their lives get complicated. Through the years, these sisters and their husbands worked at keeping us connected to the family, even if we weren't so good at responding back to Christmas cards or didn't get to their neck of the woods very often. And then, to have the cousins pass along things to us from over 50 years ago was so unexpected but so treasured, I knew I had to bring it all up on a podcast. I just love how this family decided to hang onto their extended family with intention. Do you have photos or letters that the children or grandchildren of your siblings or nieces or nephews or cousins might appreciate? Do you have some things

Broaden your horizons and awareness by attending the 2022 American Hungarian Educators Association (AHEA) Conference which will be held April 7-9! The conference is entirely online and it is free! Check out the accepted abstracts in Cultural Studies, Education, History, Political Science, Language, Literature, Music, Folklore, Science, and Economics HERE. AHEA’s website Interested in becoming a member? Check out their affordable membership options and support a great organization! Membership Details We love helping you discover, celebrate, and share Hungarian heritage! Visit The Hungarian Store to purchase meaningful gifts with Hungarian themes. We also have some great resources, recipes, and interesting information at Hungarian Living!

This episode is all about Hungarian cooking and recipes and the different ways recipes get passed down. I am including this recipe my mom had written down. I love that this is a recipe that you need to weigh the ingredients! That is the most accurate way to bake. Note: Time and temperature were not written down nor were the number of servings. When I make this, I will have to wing it a bit. But, I am not too nervous about it. All the ingredients are good. I just can’t say that I will actually produce the item the way it should look. I will have to dig through a few cookbooks and come to a conclusion. But this is a great example of incomplete information being passed down. And then, the next person has to research and improvise a little. These are important details. I doubt my mom left them off. Maybe they weren’t on the original recipe. The important piece for me is the handwriting. That’s what I love about this recipe! A recipe in my mom’s handwriting…… Love Letters – Szerelmes Levelek 500 grams flour200 grams butter5 eggs1 lemon½ c sour cream300 gm ground walnuts100 gm icing sugar350 gm sugar for filling1 Tablespoon milk Prepare dough a day ahead. Crumble the butter and the flour. Add egg yellows. 100 gm icing sugar, sour cream, the juice of the lemon. Knead dough until smooth. Let it rest overnight. On a well floured pastry board roll dough to proper thickness. Cut into rectangles. Mix walnuts, sugar, & milk. Add lemon rind (grated) Place this filling on the center of each rectangle, fold 4 sides to meet in the middle. Brush tops with egg yellow. Bake until golden brown. Dust with icing sugar. _________________ I will be posting the Wedding Soup recipe soon. It isn’t Hungarian but it is delicious!

I have been down the rabbit hole of genealogy for the last two weeks. My biggest weak point with genealogy is that I poke around here and there, as I have time. I don't have a regular focused time to work on the genealogy piece. So, I dive in and then I back up and then, several months or a year later, I dive back in again. So, here I am in the thick of it again. If you know something about genealogy, you might categorize some of the things I talk about today as rookie moves. I will admit, I am likely the most inconsistent person out there looking into their genealogy. I have dipped my pinky toe in and out of genealogy for about 11 years. And, truly, in 11 years. I don't feel like I have gotten any further than my pinky toe. But, I know I have. It's just that when I open the door to a new person, sometimes it gives me so many other people to think about! And then I have to take a break because I have other things tugging at my time. It is only recently that I have thought about the extended family in a really big way. When I was a kid, I hung out a lot with my first cousins. And then, as family things often happen, there were some family disagreements and deaths and then I went away to college and, essentially, never moved back. I got married and we lived in Nebraska, nearer to my husband's family. Then we moved a few times more. And, I was so busy doing life with my husband and kids that I didn't really wonder about who was beyond that. Through the years, though, I have had some contact with second cousins on one side and a lot of contact with second cousins on another side. Sprinkle in an aunt and uncle and first cousins and, there you have it. It's a bit of a mish mash. And for no great reason other than life has a way of moving you in a direction. So, as it is in genealogy research, one thing leads to another. I am not the one who always pays attention to details, but when I logged into Family Search the other day, I noticed that my brother and I were both listed as deceased. It came as a surprise to me, of course. I fixed those and sent a message who had put that in there. He was very apologetic about the mistake. He even thinks we are related through marriage on my dad's side of the family. I think it was an honest mistake – and maybe a rookie mistake. I am sure I make plenty of my own! But, you know, it was an unwelcomed step in the process. Here I am looking for great-great grandparents (and their siblings, etc) and I get stuck trying to straighten out the details of my own life. Thankfully, I was able to message the guy and he messaged back and was very apologetic about the mistake. Anyway, I think the hardest thing for me in this research is staying focused on one branch. I feel this immense pressure to connect with the ones who are still alive. But I don't have relationships or even know everyone out there. So, I am going to start in a small circle and branch out from there. Some of the challenges I have run into – Challenge number 1: I have both an ancestry account and a family search account and a my heritage account. The trees are not identical, so I run back and forth between the three. That is something I need to solve. This leads to Challenge number 2: Challenge number 2: I need a home base for my family tree so I am only working on my part and then I can update the other sites. And, while I love having things on a genealogy website, I want it in my physical possession, too. Websites go down, computers die. I will want the info printed from time to time. So, I bought family tree maker. I haven't done anything with it yet but I will. And soon. First, I need to catch my breath! Challenge number 3: I have physical items and I have digital items. I have notes on the back of envelopes. Notes from my mom, in her handwriting. Documents. All kinds of things. I don't want every physical thing I have to be digi

Zina Bozzay is the founder of the Hungarian Folk Singing Circle and teaches Hungarian folk songs in a variety of ways. If you want to dig a bit deeper into Hungarian folk music and learn some regional songs, there is are classes coming up! A few years ago, when I was in Hungary with one of our tour groups, I had the opportunity to participate in one of Zina's classes “live” and it was great fun. Zina is enthusiastic, encouraging, patient, and very knowledgeable about Hungarian folk songs from a variety of regions! Here are the ways to connect with Zina and see what she offers! Hungarian Folk Singing Circle website: https://www.zinabozzay.com/nepdalkorCurrent Class details: https://www.zinabozzay.com/nepdalkor-currentclassesClass Registration: https://www.zinabozzay.com/nepdalkor-registrationHungarian Folk Singing Circle Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/hungarianfolksingingcircle/

It’s time for the 2022 Let’s Cook Hungarian Challenge! Since 2018, we have hosted this challenge and each year we have added new elements so participants can make a deeper connection with heritage foods each month. We would love to have you join us this year! Each month I give an assigned dish to make — it might be sweet and it might be savory. Here is how it works — I will supply a recipe, but you are not bound to that recipe. The goal is to cook the dish and see what you think. If you have access to a family recipe that you love or have never even tried, fantastic! Use that one! Or use the recipe from a family friend or your favorite cookbook. You do not have to follow the exact recipe I give you.  If you need to adapt the recipe a bit due to allergies or strong food preferences, that is fine. The hope is that you will find some recipes that can work in your life. You might not love everything you make and that is ok, too. Complete the dish of the month each month. Invite someone to cook it with you or eat it with you or drop off a little “care package” of the finished product to someone you know will enjoy it. If you can involve older or younger generations in this process, that is even better. If you are a grandmother or grandfather who lives near their grandchildren and can have a Hungarian cooking day, how fun is that? Or you and a cousin may decide to cook something together once a month – it's a great family bonding opportunity! Maybe you have a non-Hungarian friend who loves to experiment with recipes – that sounds like one of the ingredients for a perfect afternoon! In these times of social distancing, maybe you have a video chat with an older family member and discuss the recipe — find a way to make it work! How the Let’s Cook Hungarian Challenge Works To participate, you need to email Liz@MagyarMarketing.com and say you want to be in the Let's Cook Hungarian Challenge. Then you need to sign up for our e-newsletter. We offer 4 options of the e-newsletter and they are all fun and interesting, but the 3rd week is the one that will always have the recipe! Sign up for the newsletter HERE. 1st week – Hungarian Events, News, & Organizations2nd week – Hungarian Language, Genealogy, & Travel3rd week – Hungarian Recipes, Foods, & Traditions4th week – Hungarian History, Inventions, & Creative Inspiration The recipe of the month (and other cooking resources) will always appear in the 3rd week of the Hungarian Living e-newsletter. I will start the year with emailing everyone the January recipe, but, after that, each month the recipe for the following month will be in week 3 of the Hungarian Living e-newsletter. We have a Let's Cook Hungarian Challenge private Facebook group. If you are on Facebook and you have signed up for the challenge, request to join our group We have supplemental cooking and baking classes. CLICK HERE to see our upcoming classes — each month there will be class that lines up with the Let's Cook Challenge, but the classes are entirely optional We have learned a lot over the last four years of doing the Let's Cook Hungarian Challenge. Cooking brings people together and when people are together, there is always conversation. You have great food stories with us and we have enjoyed reading all of them. Each month of particip

Enjoy this tale from the collection of my mother's translations of Hungarian folk tales ready by our daughter, Hannah Vos. King Matthias, he was the ruler of Hungary from 1440-1490. He was the great Hungarian king of the Renaissance and one of the greatest public figures in Hungarian history. One of his prime concerns was the alleviation of the suffering of the serfs, and very often he would disguise himself in peasant clothes and walk among his people. He insisted that truth and justice be upheld at all times, and because of his many actions along this line, he was loved by all his people. This is why there are so many tales, legends, and myths centering around him. King Matthias was so well loved by the common people that the tales spread to the surrounding Ukrainian, Slovakian, Slovenian, and even Romanian folklore. Check out our web shop The Hungarian Store where we sell meaningful gifts with a Hungarian focus. Please visit Hungarian Living to sign up for our e-newsletter and see all the other resources we have gathered for you!

We have completely overhauled our Magyar Marketing website and changed the name to The Hungarian Store. That is a big change, you can find us at The Hungarian Store This name change has been coming for several years, out of necessity. But our commitment is the same — we want you to discover, celebrate, and share your Hungarian heritage in the ways that matter most to you and share it with the ones you love. We have also done the same for the Hungarian Living  website. If you stopped by there, you may have noticed. If not, please check it out! You can listen to the PODCAST right from the website with our fancy podcast player. We have all the episodes together in one spot. Or, you can find the show that interests you on the individual show notes page and listen from there.  And, we have put all of our recipe, language, history, and creative inspiration resources on the Hungarian Living website. So it's a place to go for a collection of resources in English. We would love to hear what you think of the changes! For more fun conversations about all kinds of things that have to do with Hungarian heritage and culture, be sure to tune into our next episode of the Hungarian Living podcast. If you have an idea for a topic to be discussed on this podcast, send an email to Podcast@HungarianLiving.com

Episode 40 In this episode of the Hungarian Living podcast, I visit with Eva Lazear from the Magyar Club of Dayton, Ohio. This group has been around since the 70’s and is still very active and intentional about welcoming new members! Here are the ways to connect with them: Website: Magyarclubofdayton.org Facebook: Magyar Club of Dayton Check out our web shop: Magyar Marketing ~ The Hungarian Store where we sell meaningful gifts with a Hungarian focus. Please visit Magyar Living to sign up for our e-newsletter and see all the other resources we have gathered for you!

Hungarian History & Culture Course Episode 39 In this episode of the Hungarian Living podcast, I visit with Gergely Nemeth about our upcoming Hungarian History and Culture Course. Gergely is one of our Hungarian language teaching partners and he lives in Miskolc, Hungary. The Hungarian History and Culture course is just a brief overview of Hungary’s history. It is 10 weeks long and the lectures are 30 minutes each. Classes are held on Skype and not pre-recorded. There are just a few spots left for this session so SIGN UP right away for the course. Send a message to Podcast@HungarianLiving.com and we will let you know when the course is available again if it is “out of stock”. Check out our web shop: Magyar Marketing ~ The Hungarian Store where we sell meaningful gifts with a Hungarian focus. Please visit Magyar Living to sign up for our e-newsletter and see all the other resources we have gathered for you!

Our goal is to help you develop and maintain a meaningful connection with your Hungarian heritage. We know what a challenge it is to preserve those ancestral ties throughout the generations, so we provide a variety of avenues to help you stay connected in the ways that work for you and the ones you love! We offer Hungarian language, cooking, history, and genealogy classes – but in this podcast we will just focus on our Hungarian language learning opportunities available for Fall 2021. Hungarian Lessons Hungarian Dialogue Sessions Hungarian Language Clinic Check out our shop: Magyar Marketing ~ The Hungarian Store where we sell meaningful gifts with a Hungarian focus. Please visit Magyar Living to sign up for our e-newsletter and see all the other resources we have gathered for you!

The Georgia Statue to Honor 1956 Hungarian Revolution In this episode of the Hungarian Living podcast, I visit with Andrea Lauer Rice about an exciting new project! There will be a statue in Georgia to honor those who participated in the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. If you want to learn more about this project and contribute, here are some links Details and Donations Freedom Fighter 56 Facebook Page: Georgia Statue to Honor 1956 Hungarian Revolution Check out our web shop: Magyar Marketing ~ The Hungarian Store where we sell meaningful gifts with a Hungarian focus. Please visit Magyar Living to sign up for our e-newsletter and see all the other resources we have gathered for you!

In this episode of the Hungarian Living podcast, I visit with Eszter Suto about HuGo, the app for iphones that shows Hungarian businesses, events, and places of interest all around the US. Check out our show notes HERE for all the ways to connect with HuGo! Check out our web shop: Magyar Marketing ~ The Hungarian Store where we sell meaningful gifts with a Hungarian focus. Please visit Magyar Living to sign up for our e-newsletter and see all the other resources we have gathered for you!

Episode 35 Genealogy Laszlo Les Josa Episode 35 In this episode of the Hungarian Living podcast I visit with Laszlo Les Josa about genealogy research. If you are at the beginning of your research or you have been doing this for years, Laszlo makes it clear that there are always new things to learn! If you have any questions for Laszlo to answer about genealogy on future podcast episodes, please send them to Podcast@HungarianLiving.com We have a Facebook group specifically for those who are researching Hungarian genealogy called Hungarian Living Genealogy Group -- We invite you to join! Check out our web shop: Magyar Marketing ~ The Hungarian Store where we sell meaningful gifts with a Hungarian focus. Please visit Magyar Living to sign up for our e-newsletter and see all the other resources we have gathered for you!

In this episode of the Hungarian Living podcast I visit with Lilla Horvath and we talk about her love for Hungarian embroidery and the new projects she has created for those who are interested in Hungarian embroidery styles. To purchase Lilla’s embroidery CLICK HERE! For more complete shownotes, visit HungarianLiving.com Check out our web shop: Magyar Marketing ~ The Hungarian Store where we sell meaningful gifts with a Hungarian focus. Please visit Magyar Living to sign up for our e-newsletter and see all the other resources we have gathered for you!

Season 2 Episode 19 Welcome to this episode of the Hungarian Living podcast. Today I visit with Lisa Jahoda Jackson, who wrote Serenade of a Swan: The Story of Katalin Boda Jahoda, a memoir about her Hungarian mother’s life. We touch on Lisa’s early years, her visits to Hungary, and when the seeds for this book were planted. To purchase Lisa’s book, CLICK HERE! Check out our web shop: Magyar Marketing ~ The Hungarian Store where we sell meaningful gifts with a Hungarian focus. Please visit Magyar Living to sign up for our e-newsletter and see all the other resources we have gathered for you!