The roots of the St. Stephen day harvest holiday date back to the reign of Maria Theresa; the monarch issued an order that we commemorate our state founder king on 20 August every year. Visitors from lands afar flocked to attend the St. Stephen day celebrations held on the Buda Castle Hill in order to celebrate the cutting of the new bread amidst splendid harvest festivities. We revive these traditions on 20 August every year.

The ceremony, which will be combined with ceremonial greetings, will begin at 3.00 p.m. on the stage erected at Clark Ádám tér. Attendees will be welcomed by Gábor Tamás Nagy, Mayor of the 1st district, following which folk singer Boglárka Fekete will perform St. Stephen songs for the entertainment of the audience. The performances of traditional folk dance ensembles and folk musicians from the various regions of the country will make the ceremonial show more colourful to everyone’s delight.

This year’s St. Stephen Day bread will be blessed by Dávid Illés, Chief Pastor of the Szilágyi Dezső tér Buda Reformed Church. The ceremony will be attended by the Princely Order of Hungarian Bakers.

Venue: Budapest, Clark Ádám tér
Time: 3.00-3.15 p.m. 20 August 2012

Harvest March to St. Stephen Basilica

After the ceremony, a splendid harvest march will set out from Clark Ádám tér to proceed to St. Stephen’s Basilica where Péter Erdő, Primate of Hungary, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, will bless the bread of master bakers as part of the ceremonial holy mass.

The march will be attended by the member organisations of the Association of Folk Arts Clubs, the representatives of the Hungarian Bakers’ Association and the Princely Order of Hungarian Bakers, the dance ensembles of the Heritage Children’s Folk Arts Association and the attendees of the Meeting of Young Hungarians from Beyond the Borders. The ceremonial march, that everyone is free to join, will proceed to St. Stephen’s Basilica via the Chain Bridge.

Route: From Budapest, Clark Ádám tér, via the Chain Bridge, to the Basilica
Time: 3.15-4.00 p.m. 20 August 2012

Source: augusztus20.kormany.hu