Bátya

Bátya is located 3 km south of Kalocsa along Road 51. During the 9^th century, prior to the Hungarian Conquest, Avars and Slavs lived in the territory of the village. Later on, after the devastation brought by the Ottoman Turks, many locals left the settlement, with Serbs moving in as newly arriving neighbours of the surviving scarce Hungarian population. The coexistence of these two peoples has shaped the unique culture of Bátya, a mix of Hungarian and South Slavic elements.

During the 20^th century, Bátya was the centre of the region’s paprika processing industry. While the historical paprika mill of the village has disappeared without a trace, local families continue to process significant quantities of paprika. During the autumn, strands of paprika drying in the air hang from the eaves of many local houses, and many families bake paprika flavoured strudels. Dedicated to the Birth of the Virgin Mary, the only church of the village was erected during the 18^th century. The main road passes a World War II Memorial and an old, tarnished statue of Saint John.

The Rác Préló (“Serbian Prelo”) organised in the village is one of the most important events of the South Slavic ethnic groups living in Hungary. Two of the returning ensembles are Rozmaring (“Rosemary”), a folk song circle, and Vodenica, a folk dance group. The Prelo is held in the local House of Culture during the carnival period; as a rule, the most ardent participants dance until the break of daw. Next day, the event is followed by the “Hordósirató, Bőgőtemető” (“Lament the Barrel, Bury the Double Base”) Gala. The annual Bátya Garlic Festival attracts thousands of visitors every year. Festival participants set up and decorate their tents and prepare a wide array of meals with garlic, competing in various categories. This gastronomy challenge is based on local traditions of using garlic profusely and diversely in home cooking as well as in other areas.

Sources: http://www.batya.hu/, http://hu.wikipedia.org/, http://www.vendegvaro.hu/