Egy megalkotott ünnep az 1930-as, 1940-es évekből: a mindszenti halászok napja
A Created Holiday from the 1930s and 1940s: Mindszent Fishermen’s Day

Author(s): László Mód
Subject(s): Customs / Folklore, Ethnohistory, Local History / Microhistory
Published by: Fórum Kisebbségkutató Intézet
Summary/Abstract: The study attempted to explore and analyze the circumstances surrounding the creation of a local holiday held in Mindszent, Csongrád County between 1936 and 1944, as well as the process of its change, by exploiting the opportunities provided by various sources. During the period under study, Fishermen’s Day enjoyed great popularity, and reports on local events were published on several occasions by national press outlets. In 1938, at the initiative of the local parish priest József Taraba, the council of representatives declared the event a votive holiday and a commemoration of the village’s re-foundation. Although the parish priest appeared to justify the creation of the holiday as the preservation of a „local tradition”, it is more likely that his primary motivation was to address the critical economic conditions of the 1930s by organizing an event that later also gained recognition among certain professional fishing organizations. Through the deliberate creation of symbols and ritual acts associated with Fishermen’s Day, Taraba established forms that proved particularly suitable for shaping local memory and making it tangible through a variety of material objects.

• Details
• Contents