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May 3, 2008
EU Embassy Open
House a Sizzling Success – Hungarian Embassy Attracts 1,500 Visitors
with Images of Traditional and Modern Hungary
Embassies of the 27 EU Member Countries and the
Delegation of the European Commission in Washington DC organized the EU
Embassy Open House again after last year’s success. On May 3, Embassies
of all EU states opened their gates to Washingtonians to celebrate
Europe Day. This year, the Embassies cooperated with Cultural Tourism DC
under the umbrella of Passport DC, a series of international events in
the month of May.
The Hungarian Embassy welcomed visitors with a wide variety of activities
and a colorfully decorated venue. Tisza Dance Ensemble of Rockville, MD,
performed traditional Hungarian folk dances in every half hour. They also
taught dances to the audience, many of whom enthusiastically participated.
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The Tisza Dance Ensemble performed
every half an hour and taught visitors Hungarian folk dances |
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Tisza dancers Cathy Lamont, Rudy
Petke and Noémi Toka |
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Members of Tisza Ensemble with Mrs.
Somogyi |
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Béla Gedeon, Cultural Attaché and
one of the Open House coordinators, with Tisza dancers Cathy Lamont
and Rudy Petke |
The exhibitors at the
Open House included MALÉV Hungarian Airlines, the Hungarian Tourism
Agency and the Hungarian Scouts of Washington. MALÉV Airlines has just
returned to non-stop JFK-BUD service on May 2, initially 5 times weekly,
then daily effective May 26th (www.malev.hu). The Hungarian Tourism Agency informed
guest about travel opportunities to Hungary and introduced its travel
packages specifically designed for interested Americans (www.gotohungary.com). The Hungarian
Scouts of Washington were showcasing and selling their handmade
traditional products and book about Hungarian culture.
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George Brtalik and Maria Bárdi
representing the New York office of MALÉV Hungarian Airlines |
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The Hungarian Tourism Agency
advertised Hungary as a tourist destination: the Embassy's Trade
Counselor Gábor Szabó and the head of the Tourism bureau in New
York, Péter Gömöri |
The Hungarian Embassy
offered goulash soup, cottage cheese scones and Hungarian wines to the
more than 1,500 visitors. The Embassy set up a “children’s corner” where
staff members made colorful pin-wheels for them and they received
candies as well as red, white and green colored balloons. There was an
exhibition of original examples of the world-famous Halas lace (www.halasicsipke.hu) and the
traditional but modern dresses by Hungarian designer Léber Barbara (www.leberbarbara.hu).
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Embassy staff members György Ócsai,
Zsuzsa Györgyi and Márta Németh serving the Hungarian goulash soup
to guests |
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Géza Németh serving Hungarian wines |
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Zoltán Fehér, Press Attaché and a
coordinator for the Open House, and Embassy Chef György Ócsai with the next pot of
goulash soup |
In between dance
performances, videos about Hungary and Hungarians were screened
(„Hungary in 3D”; „The Hungarian Spark in America”; „A Halasi Csipke”).
Poster exhibitions about “Hungary in the European Union” and “Hungarian
culture and science” were displayed all over the opened Embassy
premises.
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Embassy staff members Edit
Bessenyei and Gabriella Sz. Tóth making paper pin-wheels, with
Benedek Nemes helping out |
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Balázs and Bence Somogyi enjoying
EU Open Day kids' activities |
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International Cellars
representative and Agricultural Attaché Attila Tóth at the Hungarian
wine-tasting |
Examples of true European cooperation abounded on EU Embassy Open Day: the
Hungarian and Czech Ambassadors and their families, being next door
neighbors and partners, visited each other's Embassies.
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Ambassador Somogyi and his son
Balázs at the Czech Embassy with Czech Ambassador Petr Kolár |
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Ambassador and Mrs. Kolár at the
Hungarian Embassy with Ambassador, Mrs. and Bence Somogyi |
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The exhibition of the famous Halas
Lace - the wonderful Hungarian tradition is now 106 years old and is
100 per cent handmade
(Embassy staff member Edit Bessenyei presenting the lace to guests)
www.halasicsipke.hu
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Mariann Schattenstein and
friend admiring the Halas Lace artifacts with Political Officer
Barbara Deák-Faragó introducing them |
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Embassy staff members Márta Németh
and Judit Rigó greeting arriving guests at the entrance and stamping
their "passports to Europe" |
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Information materials awaited
visitors at the entrance (Press Attaché and a coordinator of the
Hungarian Open House Zoltán Fehér) |
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The final bow: the dancers of the
Tisza Ensemble |
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Ambassador Ferenc Somogyi delivers
closing remarks at the end of the Open Day, with Hungarian Member of
Parliament Mátyás Eörsi (middle) looking on |
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