We can hear the sighs of collective relief from the direction of Hungary's multitude of hagymás vér (blood and onions) fans. According to the country's chief veterinarian, Miklós Sütő, his earlier words praising Romanian lawmakers' decision to control the butchering of pigs were hopelessly misinterpreted. In response to presumably kolbász-loving Fidesz MP Sándor Font, Sütő has made it clear that he has no plans to restrict the wonderful tradition of disznóvágás, the savage butchering of pigs by extremely drunk Hungarians.

Any attempt to control the much loved disznóvágás is especially sensitive in Hungary, where the last time these were prohibited was under those world famous health freaks, the communists. Hungarians have feared the demise of the wintertime ritual since the country joined the European Union in 2003, but so far only some minor animal protection laws have been passed, like the one that specifies that rather than being chased around the yard, all pigs should be tranquilized before actually being killed. Admittedly, these fun-free rules are completely ignored by the Hungarians who, if they can't kill it with their bare hands, just finish off the animal with a nail straight to the cranium.

However, in 2005, a law came into effect in Romania, which made it illegal to butcher pigs at private houses. Instead, every village got its central, well-equipped killing fields, where locals are forced to take their animals to have them offed in civilized, European and also completely pathetic and boring fashion. Hungarian pig-owners and -eaters immediately feared a future clampdown on disznóvágás, but now, according to Sütő, nothing like this will happen, since lawmakers have to "take into consideration Hungarian traditions". Sorry, pigs!

(The above picture of Dezso, the ex-pig is courtesy of excellent photoblog 645)