May 12, 2007

Washington Celebrates Europe Day and EU's 50th Birthday – Huge Turnout at EU Embassy Open House

 

The Embassy's diplomats, Imre Helyes and András Juhász, greeting visitors


Crowds gathered at each of the 27 Embassies of European Union member countries on the EU Open House marking this year's Europe Day and the 50th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome.
 

Hungarian folk dancing led by Noémi Tóka (right)


The Hungarian Embassy greeted visitors with Hungarian folk-dancing, a short movie about the country, Hungarian goulash soup and Hungarian wines, as well as a mini-exhibition about Hungarian history and achievements.
 

Noémi Tóka teaching traditional folk dances to visitors with the help of the Embassy's diplomat, Zoltán Fehér (left)

 

Deputy Chief of Mission, Viktor Szederkényi (left), handing a plate of Hungarian goulash soup to a visitor

 

Guests of the Hungarian Open House viewing a mini-exhibition about Hungary and the Magyars

 

 

A number of EU-themed events are going on this month to celebrate Europe Day and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome. The European Poetry in Motion project is also part of the celebrations: during the month of May poems from all the 27 EU-countries can be read in MetroRail stations and on buses.

 

Additionally, a two-day EU Short Film Festival was held at the Goethe-Institut, at which Hungary was represented by Bálint Kenyeres' film "Before Dawn."

 

On May 5th the Goethe-Institut in Washington hosted a marathon poetry reading of all 136 poems chosen by the 27 member states of the European Union to be part of the European Poetry in Motion project.

You can download the audio files from the European Poetry in Motion marathon reading from the Goethe-Institut's website:

 

http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/was/kue/en2319504.htm