„Slovene Day“ in Orfalu/Andovci

Orfalu/Andovci, 2008/07/12

In Orfalu/Andovci, the smallest village in the Slovene Raba Region, the culture and tourism centre of Orfalu/Andovci organised the so-called “Slovene Day” in July. The event not only presented a manifold cultural programme but also honoured, as it is annually done, those people who made extraordinary contributions to the municipality of Orfalu/Andovci through their personal efforts.

The celebration, which took place right next to the “Small Triglav” of Orfalu/Andovci, attracted, besides the inhabitants of this very village, also numerous Slovenes from neighbouring Slovenia and from the other villages of the Slovene Raba Region in Hungary. The name of the event, “Slovene Day”, denoted a clear message. Due to the increased immigration of Hungarian-speaking people in the past few years, the number of inhabitants with Slovene mother tongue has been almost halved; therefore, it is important to prevent the Slovene language and culture from falling into oblivion. As a token of this sense of duty, Slovene folklore and theatre groups created a cheerful atmosphere among the audience with their performances. A highlight of the festivity was the tribute to the citizen who had done a special service to the municipality of Orfalu/Andovci: Mr Franc Bedič. He had invested a great deal of costs and efforts in the construction of the street between Orfalu/Andovci and the neighbouring village of Budinci, which is situated in Slovenia. On his own initiative, Franc Bedič obtained gravel and the necessary equipment to utilise the transboundary street; a service that is highly appreciated by the inhabitants of Orfalu/Andovci.

Pictures Tibor Horváth / Joël Gerber