Debrecen4U October 19, 2026

Festival Showcases Cultural Heritage of National Minorities in Debrecen

Organised by the National EU-Roma Association with support from the Bethlen Gábor Fund Management Company, Debrecen’s third Nationalities Day was held on 17 October, showcasing the cultures of Hungary’s national minorities.

Nationalities Day celebrations were opened by Slovak folk dances, with the Velká Bukovinka Slovak Nationality Folk Dance Group having travelled to Debrecen from Borsod County, near the Slovak border. “My great-grandparents were dedicated to preserving our traditions after they had come here from Slovakia. Older people here still speak Slovak today, and the language is also taught at the school and kindergarten,” said Martina Sitku-Lénárt, a member of the traditional dance group.

Slovaks are one of Hungary’s largest national minorities, with 112 Slovak nationality self-governments operating across the country. “Since we are talking about a neighbouring country and a neighbouring nation, it is relatively easier to maintain our identity than in the case of, say, Armenians or other communities, where cultural connections have to be sustained over a greater distance,” said Antal Paulik, the Slovak nationality spokesperson in the Hungarian National Assembly.

Nationalities Day was held in Debrecen for the third time. The city has nine nationality self-governments, while the communities representing its national minorities are even more diverse. “These communities help showcase the character and diversity of our city. I think this sends an important message: there are many of us living here, and we really should get to know one another,” emphasised Diána Széles, Deputy Mayor of Debrecen.

Several nationality spokespersons in the Hungarian National Assembly attended the event, including the representative of the Greek community, which numbers several thousand people nationwide. Debrecen, too, is home to a smaller community of Greek heritage. “I attended a forum this morning, where I found that the Roma participants were just as keen to have a say in matters and just as emotionally engaged as the Greek participants,” said Alexandros Puros, the Greek nationality spokesperson in the Hungarian National Assembly.

Visitors also had the opportunity to discover, and even try out for themselves, Roma dance traditions at the event.

Source: dehir.hu | Photo credit: Debrecen városa (Facebook)