Three Endearing Stories Of Hungarian American Christmas Traditions Win 2009 Gulyas Pot Contest
Lauer Learning CEO Andrea Lauer Rice Congratulates Winners for Their Inspirational Stories
ROSWELL, Ga - January 20, 2010 - Andrea Lauer Rice, founder and CEO of Lauer Learning, recently announced the winners of the 2009 Gulyas Pot Best Story Contest - an annual competition that asks participants to submit personal accounts of Hungarian Christmas tales that are memorable, and culturally and historically significant.
Gulyas Pot, www.gulyaspot.com, was created in 2007 by Lauer Learning as an online community website which provides information - ideas, events and news - to the nationwide Hungarian American community. It also encourages participation and interaction among the Hungarian American organizations in an ongoing effort to capture the legacy of Hungarians in the United States.
“Gulyas Pot is an anchor project of Lauer Learning's Pass It On…program”, said Lauer Rice. “Our mission for Pass It On… is to find effective ways to reach out to young people and create tools that all of us can use to help pass on history and culture to the next generation.”
The winning stories told of the magic a doll named Nudli brought to a young child at Christmas in 1946 Hungary; the joys of celebrating Hungarian traditions of Christmas in Cleveland, Ohio; and fond memories of Christmas in Hungary through a child's eyes.
The first place award went to “A Doll Named Nudli, A Christmas Story” by Marta Boros Horvath, of Seattle, WA, that recounted the author's touching story of receiving a tiny ragdoll she named Nudli on Christmas in 1946 war torn Budapest. The tale of Nudli traces the joy it brought the author as a poverty stricken child in Hungary and how, years later, Nudli, resurrected from a drawer, became a symbol of gratitude and blessed memories during the Christmas season.
The second place winner of the competition went to “Hungarian American Christmas Traditions and Celebrations” by Mihály Horváth, Cleveland, Ohio. Horvath wrote of an annual celebration of Hungarian Christmas traditions in Cleveland that includes dressing in traditional Hungarian costumes, putting on the Christmas Nativity play and singing carols. This tradition continues every year with local Scouting troupes.
The submission that won third place in the Gulyas Pot contest, “Christmas Letter 2008” by Marika Ujvary, of Windsor, CO, brings back the memories of Christmas in Hungary and the joys of simple traditions that resulted in lasting and cherished memories of true Christmas magic.
“All of the submissions to the 2009 Gulyas Pot Contest were wonderful and I am grateful to everyone who shared their personal tales,” said Lauer Rice. “Every story underscored the importance of our precious Hungarian heritage and how sharing even the smallest of memories adds tremendous value to the lives of each and every one of us. As Hungarian Americans we are a powerful group that, together, is making a difference in preserving our history and culture.”
The winners received cash prizes and their submissions can be found on the www.gulyaspot.com. Judges gave an Honorable Mention to Rozsa Cordele, of Atlanta, GA. for her three submissions.
Lauer Learning , the Hungarian American Coalition (HAC), and the William Penn Association supports the operation of www.Gulyaspot.com, which is overseen by Lauer Learning, a multimedia educational company, headquartered in Roswell, Ga, that creates innovative ways to teach children about history, foreign languages and culture.
Lauer Rice noted that this year's increased participation in the Christmas story contest suggests that the Gulyas Pot community has grown significantly. “Our community network on www.gulyaspot.com is flourishing and we encourage everyone to take advantage of this online tool. Share your stories and pass on your experiences and memories to others on our unique, community-driven networking website,” she said.
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Lauer Learning is a multimedia educational company that creates interactive products to teach children about foreign language, culture and history through experiential learning. Its “Pass It On…” program identifies and creates new educational approaches and multimedia tools to reach the next generation to help teach about ethnicity. Phase 1 of “Pass It On…” focuses on Hungarian history, specifically the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. In 2006, Lauer Learning launched: FF56! a historically accurate, educational computer game for teens about the Revolution; “56 Stories”, a coffeetable book comprised of personal testimonials collected through the FreedomFighter56.com oral history website and “Hungarian Freedom Fighters of '56,” a historic graphic novel about 1956. The next “Pass it on…” project highlights Southern Culture and will include a book of historical and cultural facts for kids 6-12, a community website, online game and Facebook application that teaches about the many cultural and historic contributions of the South. These educational products are expected to be available in the summer of 2009. All Lauer Learning products are available for purchase through the www.LauerLearning.com website.
The Hungarian American Coalition was founded in 1991 as an educational and cultural non-profit 501 (c)3 organization. Its Office of Information in Washington, D.C serves over 20,000 organizational and individual members across the United States. Its mission is to promote public understanding and awareness of Hungarian American issues. For further information, please go to www.hacusa.org.
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