St. Dömötör's Day Celebration, October 21, 2023

 

"St. Dömötör's Day [Livestock] Driving Festival and Crane Festival

"The autumn celebration of nature in the Hortobágy"

From the Internet:

In Hortobágy, following an old folk tradition, animals are driven from their pastures to their winter shelters when the cold sets in [transhumance].

The folk tradition of [livestock] driving in is revived on this weekend day. See below for the detailed programme.

The St. Dömötör Day Autumn drive is a celebration of nature and farming! 

Every year, the collection is one of the most awaited events in the Hortobágy. The centuries-old folk tradition of driving livestock from the pastures [transhumance] is brought to life on this day in the Hortobágy, where all-day programmes, film screenings, music and dance performances, dance, food from the stove, astronomy demonstrations and a market are awaiting you!

The collection of cattle was marked by a number of special days: cattle were brought home on Catherine's or Michael's Day, sheep on Dömötör Day. The shepherds' accounts and wages were also paid. The celebration of Dömötör Day was always a big event for shepherds, as they would go to the tavern for several days of fun and feasting.

"St. Dömötör's Day [Livestock] Driving Festival and Crane Festival

"The autumn celebration of nature in the Hortobágy"

"It's a shepherd tradition that is celebrated in Hortobágy (in the Hungarian lowlands, called Puszta)."

Pastoral dogs absent at pastoral event?

But the program writes:  "14.00-16.00 Entry Ceremony (Equestrian Arena):

- Parade and presentation of dogs, carts, shepherds, presentation of hereditary shepherds"

We'd like to see some photos of the dogs at this event, please!

Click here to see more photos of the event: facebook.com/Photos

Thanks to Andrea of Majna-menti Mákvirág Kuvasz Kennel in Germany for her kind assistance on this post.

About the family of Livestock Guardian Dogs...

“To this day flocks are guarded in the hills of Asia, Europe and Africa* by powerful, robust dogs that are neither clumsy nor pacific. Despite the distances that separate them these breeds have much in common, and the Kuvasz is a member of this extended sheepdog family.” 

From: Dr. Buzády Tibor. 2002. Dogs of Hungary. Translated by Bernard Adams. Budapest, Hungary: Nóra Kiadó.  P. 100.

*(and now also in North America, South America and Australia)

Click here to see the Kuvasz History Klips blog!