Folk traditions at the Summer School of Debrecen

Foreign students were tasting stuffed cabbage and learning to do shepherd’s dances from Hajdúság at the folk lore night of the Debrecen Summer School (Nyári Egyetem). In addition to learning Hungarian, these students are also familiarising themselves with Hungarian culture and traditions as well.

Students of Debrecen Nyári Egyetem can taste food from a different region every week , and master their songs and dances. This week it was the region of Hajdúság that the summer school focused on, making it possible for students of the summer school to try authentic stuffed cabbage from Debrecen and learn the basics of shepherd’s dances from Hajdúság. In the second week it was Somogy county that stole the limelight: after consuming millet with cabbage the students sang folk songs that come from Somogy county, then danced a swineherd’s dance from Somogy, bottle dance, followed by slow and fast „csárdás”.

In the third week of the Summer School the students tried „palóc” soup from the region of Magyarbőd and learnt to dance „karikázó”(women dancing in  a circle-=„karika”) csárdás from the same region. The region that the fourth week will dedicate its food and culture to will be Moldva with „lecsó” as supper, followed by circle and pair dances from the region.

The organising dancers, singers, and performers dress up but so can anyone interested: they can try on items of Hungarian folkwear. Every Tuesday is about the indispensable Hungarian drink: pálinka.


Students who have arrived for the summer course not only to learn Hungarian in 6 periods per day but can also familiarise themselves with Hungarian culture and folk lore during their stay here.  The folk lore night, organised as part of the extracurricular activities, has been leading the popularity list among the morning and evening/night acitivities.

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