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• Quick Guide: Three Days of Celebrations Will Mark St. Stephen’s Day in Hungary

Quick Guide: Three Days of Celebrations Will Mark St. Stephen’s Day in Hungary

• 18 Aug 2023 10:06 AM
• Hungary Matters

More than a hundred programmes will be on offer during a three-day festival in Budapest to mark the August 20 national holiday celebrating Hungary’s statehood, the event’s organisers said.

Visitors taking part in the events from August 18 to 20 will get to try traditional Hungarian food and enjoy a range of cultural and musical programmes at more than 20 locations, they told MTI.

The official state celebrations on August 20 will begin with the hoisting of the national flag and a St. Stephen’s Day festive ceremony in front of Parliament. It will be followed by an air show over the Danube, the traditional festive holy mass and the procession of Saint Stephen’s Holy Right Hand.

The festivities will close out with the traditional evening fireworks display over the Danube, with some 34,000 fireworks set to go off between Margaret Bridge and Petőfi Bridge.

The Street of Hungarian Flavours will present the gastronomy of the Carpathian Basin. The Fashion and Design Festival at Millenáris Park will be ready to welcome those interested in Hungarian fashion, jewellery and design.

Meanwhile, the Festival of Folk Arts, featuring some 1,000 Hungarian and international craftsmen, will once again be held at Buda Castle.

Kovács: Organisers Responsible for Safety During St. Stephen's National Holiday Events

The organisers of St. Stephen’s national holiday programmes are responsible for and prepared to ensure people’s safety, Zoltán Kovács, the state secretary for government communications and international relations, said at a meeting of operational staff in charge of the August 20 events.

“As in years past, we’re celebrating Hungary’s birthday with a series of large-scale programmes,” Kovács said on social media.

Celebrations will start with the raising of the flag at Kossuth Lajos Square, an air show over the Danube, Holy Mass and a procession at Saint Stephen’s Basilica, and events will culminate in a light and fireworks show on Sunday evening at points along the river.

Also, President of the Republic Katalin Novak will give a ceremonial speech in Esztergom on the morning of August 20, and she will hand over the Order of St. Stephen of Hungary at the same location in the afternoon.

More details are available at https://szentistvannap.hu/.

Related links

August 20 Festivities in Budapest to Feature Air Show, Sacred Relic, Pricey Fireworks

Festival of Folk Arts, Buda Castle, 18-20 August

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• August 20 Celebrations St. Stephen's Day National Holiday

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Launched in January 2014, this newsletter published on week days covers 'everything you need to know about what’s going on in Hungary and beyond', according to its publisher the state media agency MTI.

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