Growing up in the busiest section of Budapest, [hetedik kerület] I was never subjected to these humiliations. I don’t think that was because city girls were held in higher esteem, it’s just that apartment dwelling is not conducive for throwing buckets of water around. So I grew up with getting sprinkled with cheap cologne instead. Now that was plenty humiliating for me so I cannot wrap my head around the idea why would a 21st century young woman allow men to soak her with ice cold water on a chilly spring day in the name of tradition! This custom is nothing more then the re-enactment of a fertility rite, but in the past couple of years the Hungarian propaganda machine has morphed it into a religious custom; something to do with baptism and the resurrection of Jesus. When all else fails give some outrageous pagan custom a Christian purpose, involve the nationalistic pride and all of a sudden what once was passé becomes a sacred duty to uphold. I am truly amazed at the gullibility of people. Mark my word, the cheap cologne in the not too distant future will be replaced with holy water.
I cannot tell you how I hated Easter Mondays. I resented the imposition of the neighbor boys coming to sprinkle my hair for money and sometimes taking a swig of liqueur when I was fully aware of the fact that the same guys would never acknowledge me if they passed me on the street. By the end of the day I had a headache from the mixture of cheap colognes and when I no longer could stand it, we stopped answering the door, cutting off all stragglers, who would be drunk by then anyway and we washed the junk out of my long red hair. When I turned twelve I got a haircut and hooked up with an older cousin and her friend and started the tradition of spending Easter Mondays walking the belváros [downtown] and sunning on the steps by the river. Now these… were fun times. As for the rest, the Hungarikum can have it all.
I will never forget my first Easter Monday in Canada and the realization that no sprinkler will call. I felt a sense of loss for a brief moment and then we bundled up our brand new baby daughter and the three of us went for a walk.
