Sydney Academy - Record Yearbook (Sydney, Australia)

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A HUNGARIAN WEDDING Esther Rice, XIB Most people have never attended a foreign wedding, but I have been to several, among the-m Russian, Polish, Italian and Hungarian. Being a Hun- garian myself, I naturally found the Hungarian type more to my liking. The first one that I had ever seen took place last July. About an hour before the couple were due at t.he church, all the friends and relations of the 'bride and groom assembled at the bri'de's mother 's home. Those who could not get in stayed outside while tlhe rest assembled in the par- lour. The number of guests is sometimes two hundred. The bride 's parents and her brothers and sisters were standing in a group by themselves. When everything was ready the best man recited a long speech -on behalf of the bride in which she thanked her parents for their care of her and for all they had done for her. She 'asked forgiveness for leaving them and for disobeying them at times. Having ended his speech the best man permits the bride to kiss her parents good-bye. By this time everyone present was crying as hard as he or she could. Then anotlher long sapee-ch was solemnly delivered, this time to her brothers and sisters and friends of her girlhood. Then having kissed her brothers and sisters, she left for the church. The marriage ceremony was con- ducted in the usual manner and the usual shower of confetti and rice greeted her when she emerged from the church. The wedding was celebrated in a hall for the occasion. When the bride arrived at the hall she was greeted by the orchestra, playing Hungarian folk music. After a light lunch, dancing began. The couples waltzed in the good old-fashioned way and the majority of tlhem did the Cyardasg which is the Hungarian national dan-ce. All this lasted until nine olclock. By tlhis time everyone was quite pleased to hear supper announced. When everyone had been seated the first course was brought in. IVhen- ever anything was brought in, it was prese-nted with a short rhyme about it. The first course ,consisted of chicken soup with home-made Hungarian macar- oni. highly seasoned, and lastly the cake. Besides the big cake set befiore the bride, smaller cakes were placed all along the tables. A Hungarian wedding supper would never be complete without the inevitable kalacs, a kind of roll cut in slices, with a nut-and-raisin filling. During the course of the meal ev- eryone sang Hungarian folk-songs and made as much noise as he could. n While all this was going on a young man went under the talble and stole the bride 's shoes without being caught. When everyone had finished eating, a song was sung in which the bridesmaids were given permission to withdraw from the table. The other guests could leave when they wished. Then came the bargaining for tlhe bride 's shoes. Her godfather had to buy her shoes from the person who had stolen them, so that the bride could da11ce again. The ceremony lasted about an hour. When the bride had her shoes on again we had what was called the Hari-dal dance. Tlo start this the best man danced with the bride, putting .some monev in a plate held by the bride's godmother. Everyone present had a short dance with her and of course each gave her a donation, either large or small. This money was give11 to the bride to help her in setting up her new home. Some- 46

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THE GRADUATION PROM The Annual Graduation Promenade was held at the Nelgah Beach Pa- vilion on Thursday, June 16th.,1949. It was sponsored by tlhe third-year Academy students in honor of the Graduation Class. The Prom officially began with the Grand March which was led by Helen Pride and Bill Skinner. The graduates, approximately 113, made an impressive picture - the girls in white gowns and eo-rsages of red roses, and the boys in white trousers and dark jackets. The chaperones were Mrs. M, R. Campbell, Mrs. D. C. MacEachen, Mrs, J. C. Johnson and Miss M. Francis, For refreshments, Coke was served. The music by Joe Murphy was excellent. ..sgt-g-53... ARE YOU HUNGRY? Sarah MacCormack, XIA Not hungry - eh? Go to your mother 's largest, illustrated cook book. Got it? Take it to a lonely corner and open it. Let 's look at some of tahe col- ored illustrations, they're better. Look at the -chocolate pie, topped with fluffy whipped cream and sur- rounded by sliced banana. Luscious - isn't it? You don't like 'chocolate pie? Well, look at the light, yellow, lemon meringue pie. Isn't it lovely? See how softly the merirrgue is browned on top? And look at the filling, as yello-W as a sun flower. I'm getting hungry, arefn't you? You 're not? Well, take a peek at the ice cream salad. See that straw- berry ice cream garnished by banana lhalves, raspberry, orange sections and pineapple circles? The height of perfection. If you aren't hungry, go to bed and sleep for three days-solid. I haven't time to tell you any more - I'm going to have something to eat-- you just keep on looking. -gf-g-gg..- Eric MacK.: What did you do with my shirt? His Mere: Sent it to the laundry. Eric MacK.: Ye gods! The whole Aeneid was on the cuffs. -..gi-g-ig.- Mother: Stop using those queer words. Son: Shakespeare uses them. Mother: Well, don't play with him any more. 45

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times as much as three hundred dollars is received in this way. Wlieii the bridal dance was over, the guests continued dancing for the remainder of the night. Sometimes the dancing is kept up for two or three days, all depending on the wealth of the bride 's parents. After the wedding it is customary to escort the bride to her new home from her II10t'llCI',S home. She is not allowed to go visiting or see her mother during the first week. At the end of the first week she pays her mother a call and then goes to call on others. However, the majority of these customs are dying out, and as time goes on we will have less and less of them. Even now, the majority of our wedd- ings are beginning to conform to the pattern set by other people. Penhaps the reason for this is that the young-er generation is lbeginning to forget some of the glorious customs brought over by their parents. and grandparents and be- ginning to accept the customs of their adopted country, Canada. In any event perhaps the important thing is that the marriage be a happy one! -et.o-ee- MY IDEA OF WHAT CONSTITUTES AN EDUCATED PERSON Donald Gillis, XIA Usually we think of an educated man as one who has completed the work of common schools very successfully, and overcome college courses by hard study. But knowledge alone is not education. After a man has finished school and forgotten most of what he learned, there remains with him a certain power which that knowledge gave him. Education consists mostly in what one is capable of doing rather than what he knows. Is he able to think and work out his problems for himself 'Z Education consists mostly of developing the mind properly rather than regarding it as a receptacle to be filled. But knowledge is very necessary to education. Its moral value should not be overlooked. Besides its value as a guide and as a means of discipline, knowledge 'opens up new sources of enjoyment and brings one a little higher than the ordinary man. An educated man should be very :broad-minded, that is, he should be able to see all sides of a subject. His knowledge and experience should be able to make him see the other ma.n's point of view and consider it as having its points too, so he should be able to lead and direct his fellow-men. Usually a man has more knowledge than of othe-rs, but he is always try- ing to learn as much about other things as time will permit him. He must know how to live in peace and enjoyment with his fellow-men above all, and try in a quiet way to make this world a better place in which to live. An educated man'.s mental growth depends on his mental activity, for the mind is developed into whatever it is capable of becoming only by the ex- ercise of its own powers. In fact, mental exercise is the one essential condi- tion of development. Education may be defined then, as the process by means of which the individual acquires experience that will function in rendering more efficient, his future actions. 47