Multicultural Festival

(From left to right: Orsi, Elena, Cesar, Olivia)

(The Széchenyi Chain Bridge that spans the River Danube between Buda and Pest, the western and eastern sides of Budapest, the capital of Hungary.)

(From left to right: Olivia and Elena)

As the Steiner Ranch Multicultural Festival comes to a close with the twelfth Steiner family sharing their unique culture and heritage with the Ranch Record and the Community, we would like to thank everyone that contributed to this exciting journey. To tie it all in, the Steiner Ranch Event Planning Committee will be hosting a Multicultural in-person event on January 29th. Stay tuned; more details to come...

December highlight - the nassar family

By Orsi Domonkos Nassar We are the Nassar Family, and we are pleased to be part of this issue of the Steiner Ranch Record to introduce our family and culture.

Once upon a time, there was Cesar and there was me. We met in the enchanting Budapest, Hungary, over 17 years ago, where Cesar was living at the time. Before that, he lived in Canada, several countries in Asia, and finally, work brought him to Hungary. Cesar was born in Arkansas to MexicanLebanese parents. I was born and raised in Hungary, lived for a while in the United Kingdom, and later worked for the Irish government in Hungary. Hungary is located in Central Europe and borders seven different countries. It is about the size of Indiana State with a population of greater Chicago area, and we speak a unique language, Hungarian which is considered one of the top ten most difficult languages to learn in the world. It has no connection to any other language families. Our journey started in Budapest, Hungary, then with a curve towards Ukraine and Russia and back to Hungary. Finally, we decided to move to the United States eight years ago with a quick layover in Houston and then to Austin. Austin was always a favorite place for Cesar to return to while spending twenty-five years working internationally. We have two wonderful girls, Elena (Eli) and Olivia (Oli), who were born in Hungary. Our energetic “Elastigirl” Elena is a great dancer who strengthens the amazing Dyami Dance team and is a flutist in the fantastic Band at Canyon Ridge Middle School. While our dog-loving, full of energy, Olivia is in her final year at Steiner Ranch Elementary. Both girls have been swimming year-round almost since they were born, and I can tell you winters in Hungary are cold. Not Hill Country cold! As they love water so much, having access to the pools so close to us is fantastic for them here in Steiner. It doesn’t happen everywhere in the world. And for sure you can find us at the pool in the wintertime. The steam rising from the Bella Mar pool on cold days is a special feeling for us. Another feature we quickly fell in love with is the Club House at Lake Austin. Kayaking, paddleboarding, swimming in such a picturesque nature makes us feel we are on vacation every time we spend time there. In addition to the hills, lakes, more hills, trails starting at your doorsteps, the neighbors we have become friends with “in the hood” makes this a great community to live in. And, having a brother in Steiner makes it a bit more special. Living in so many countries allowed us to learn and celebrate unique traditions, like Eastern European, Orthodox, Western European, the United States, and for Cesar, Asia. We, as a family, celebrate American and Hungarian holidays. It has been essential for us that the girls are connected to both their Hungarian and American roots. In Hungary, we would celebrate August 20th State Foundation Day that celebrates the crowning of Hungary’s first King, Saint Stephen. It is observed very similarly with the U.S. Independence Day, with stately fireworks crowning the celebration. Hungary is predominantly Catholic from the religious holidays, and Easter is observed similarly to here; however, both Good Friday and Easter Monday are holidays, and the Easter egg hunt takes place on Monday. Also, on Easter Monday, boys would go door to door to spray girls with water, and in return, the girls would give out hand-painted eggs or chocolate eggs. Another holiday we celebrate a bit differently is Halloween and All Saints Day.

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Hungarians honor All Saints Day on November 1st. On this day, people set off to the cemetery, decorate the tombs with flowers, and light candles for their loved ones who passed away. As it turns dark early in November, it is magical to see those flickering lights in the dark, and the cemetery turns into a large flower garden. Families might gather at the tombs and visit each other for a while. Since living in the United States of America, we carve pumpkins with friends as an annual neighborhood event, and we dress up for Halloween and Trick or Treat from door to door. On November 1st, our family lights many candles in our home in memory of our loved ones who passed away. Hungarians do not celebrate Thanksgiving however we observe Saint Nicholas (Mikulás or Télapó) Day on December 6th. Our children clean their boots and place them in the window on the evening of December 5th before they go to sleep. By next morning ‘Mikulás’ and his helpers will fill them with fruits, nuts, candies, chocolate, or little toys if they behaved well during the year. But those who were naughty only get ‘virgács’, gold-colored birch twigs tied with a piece of red paper as a symbol of punishment. ‘Virgács’ is given by the ‘krampusz’ (mean elves), and the goodies are given by a good angel who accompanies ‘Mikulás’. ‘Mikulás’ tradition derives from a 4th century Christian Saint, Nikolaos of Myra, a bishop of Myra in the Roman Empire, who secretly gave gifts to people.

Christmas is a big celebration in Hungary, which we celebrate here with a few differences. While families here put up the Christmas trees soon after Thanksgiving, in Hungary, most families do it on Christmas Eve, December 24th, and presents get under the tree only that evening (representing Baby Jesus’ arrival). Christmas Eve is spent with our immediate family with a traditional meal: Hungarian fish soup and Mákosguba (Poppy Seed Bread Pudding). For Hungarians, Christmas Day is considered the second day of Christmas and is spent with extended family. We celebrate Christmas in both the Hungarian and American ways.

(Olivia and Elena celebrating Saint Nicholas Day on December 6th) We put up the tree a few days earlier than Christmas and decorate it mainly with handmade ornaments. Another Hungarian tradition is glue (hot) wine and making a large pot of stuffed cabbage (sauerkraut-based stew with meatballs), which goes well with cold weather. To start the New Year, we eat lentil soup on New Year’s Day to bring us good luck and wealth in the new year. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! And Happy New Year!

Mákos Guba (Poppy Seed Bread Pudding) Hungarian Christmas Dessert

Ingredients:

5 plain bagels 700 ml milk or rice milk or enough to lightly soak the bagel slices 150 g ground poppy seeds Sugar ¼ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

Slice the bagels thinly and place them in a big bowl or pot. Grind poppy seed and sugar together. I usually like to have a balance of dark gray mix after grinding. Heat up the milk slowly, add the vanilla, and make sure it doesn’t burn in the bottom of the pot. Start spreading the milk over the bagels evenly that the slices soak up the milk nicely. You can always add extra warm milk if necessary. Spread the poppyseed mixture over the bagels and serve it or you can toss everything together in a bowl and serve it. This version is ready just like that, but you can also bake it in the oven for around 20 minutes. A common addition if you bake it in the oven is vanilla custard.