Day of the Foundation of the Hungarian State St. Istvan’s Day 20th August Programs on 20th August A series of state ceremonies launch the holiday programs in the morning to commemorate the Foundation of the Hungarian State • The main venues of the state programs are Kossuth Square in front of the Hungarian Parliament and Heroes' Square • The celebration starts with the raising of the Hungarian flag on Kossuth Square • Air and water show takes place over and on the Danube • Ecumenical blessing of new bread • The procession of St. Stephen's Holy Right Hand • Besides the state celebrations there'll be a wide range of other programs • Ceremonial Fireworks on the Danube Banks Principality of Hungary In the 970s grand prince Geza adopted western Christianity, and started spreading it in the country. His peace policy was reinforced by dynastic marriages in order to consolidate the rule of the Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin. Consequently, the Hungarian chief prince needed the political, moral, and occasional military help of the German empire because of the Byzantine threat. During Geza's reign, the plundering campaigns came to an end. Geza's efforts to establish a stable state power and guarantee the throne for his son were not so successful because he had to share the country with the other members of the principal family. In the Hungarian succession the theory of seniority - the right of the oldest living brother - prevailed. His efforts to establish a country independent of other powers was almost successful before he died. House of Arpad Reign of St. Istvan Saint Stephen I (Hungarian: I. (Szent) István ; Latin: Sanctus Stephanus ; Esztergom, Principality of Hungary, 967 or 969 or 975 – 15 August 1038, Esztergom or Székesfehérvár, Kingdom of Hungary), born as Vajk , was Grand Prince of the Hungarians (997–1000) and the first King of Hungary (1000–1038). His father was Grand Prince Géza of Hungary; his mother was Sarolt, daughter of Gyula of Transylvania a Hungarian nobleman who had been baptized in Greece. Stephen married Giselle of Bavaria, the daughter of Henry II the Wrangler in or after 995. By this marriage, he became the brother-in-law of the future Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor. He greatly expanded Hungarian control over the Carpathian Basin during his lifetime, broadly established Christianity in the region, and is generally regarded as the founder of the Kingdom of Hungary. Pope Gregory VII canonized Stephen together with his son, Saint Emeric of Hungary, and Gerardo Sagredo, on 20 August 1083. When Geza died the issue of succession to the throne created tension at the court: by ancestral right Koppany should have claimed the throne, but Geza chose his first-born son (Istvan) to be his successor. Koppany took up arms, and many people in Transdanubia joined him. Istvan won the throne struggle and became chieftain/prince. Istvan then asked Pope Silvester II to recognize him as king of Hungary. The pope agreed, and legend says Istvan was crowned on Christmas Day in the year 1000. The crowning legitimized Hungary as a Western kingdom independent of the Holy Roman and Byzantine empires. Istvan administered his kingdom through a system of counties, each governed by an ispán count or magistrate, appointed by the king. He ordered the people to pay tithes and required every tenth village to construct a church and support a priest. In Istvan's time, the Hungarian society had two classes: the freemen nobles and the unfree who had no political voice (slaves, freed slaves, immigrants, or nobles stripped of their privileges). His power was confirmed by his laws and the succession of the formed Hungarian habits was also changed protecting the private property. Hungary under the Reign of St. Istvan (Stephen) Raising of the national flag of Hungary with military honours The programme of celebrations on 20 August starts with the raising of the national flag in front of the Parliament Building. The Central Orchestra of the Auxiliary Brigade of the Hungarian Defence Forces and the National Mounted Guard of Honour of the Hungarian Republic will take part in the event, and historical flags are flown in front of the Parliament Building. There are performances by military orchestras, majorettes and exhibition drill soldiers. Sacramental obligation Hundreds of soldiers finished the training assume an obligation under oath. Ecumenical blessing of bread and Harvest procession Celebration the Breaking of the New Bread with ceremonial harvest festivities which were then held on the Stephen Days performed on Castle Hill in Buda. The festive harvest procession sets off from Clark Ádám tér in the direction of the Basilica, for the master bakers’ bread to be blessed by Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest. Children, master bakers, dancers and musicians in traditional folk costume are form part of the procession. The procession crosses the Chain Bridge to its destination in front of Saint Stephen’s Basilica. The march is 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. The procession of St. Istvan's Holy Right Hand Every year on 20th August, the main celebration event is the procession of St. Stephen's Holy Right Hand around the Basilica. The Founder of the State St. Stephen’s Holy Right’s adventurous and wonderful history have preserved by contemporary chronicles. The king after his death was buried in St. Stephen's Basilica in Székesfehérvár. In the confusing years of pagan burial the chamber hid the body into a tomb under the Basilica. Then it was noticed that the right hand is completely intact, and they separated it from the body. For centuries, the faithful made pilgrimages to the Holy Right. Wandering of the Holy Right began in the 15th century. In the Turkish invasion the relic was evacuated to Bosnia. The Hungarian king Bela IV. rescued it to Raguza (Dubrovnik, Croatia) and left it in the care of the dominican monks. They build a relic holder for the Holy Right Hand made of silver and ground glas. After a long continuous diplomatic negotiations in 1771 Habsburg Maria Theresa moved it to Vienna and later she had entrusted the care to the English Ladies in Buda. 150 years ago, in 1862 the Hungarian Bishops' Conference ordered a closed, chapel- shaped, ornamental relic holder to be built in neogothic design using silver and ground glass, and the smaller holder made in Raguza to be placed inside it. In 1938, the 900 years anniversary of the death of St. Stephen the holy Right was carried around the country. In the II. World War, the Holy Right Hand and the crown jewels were rescued to Austria. On 20 th August 1945 a priest of the US Army, brought back the Holy Right Hand from Austria and handed over to the priest of the royal palace. Today, the Holy Right Hand is resting in the Saint Stephen Basilica in Budapest and, along with the Holy Crown and the coronation jewels; it represents one of the very highly regarded historic objects for the Hungarians. Air and water show A fantastic air and water show takes place over and on the Danube between Elizabeth Bridge and Margaret Bridge. Various helicopters, paratroopers, gliders and interceptors, and also different ships and boats can be seen at this event. Promenade of Hungarian Flavours Programs start already on the 19th of August: the Street of Hungarian Promenade (Magyar Ízek Utcája) can be visited on the Danube banks where the traditional Hungarian food and drinks can be tasted. Festival of Folk Arts The Festival of Folk Arts in Buda Castle starts already on the 17th of Aug, and it is still going during the August 20 holiday. This year at the Festival of Folk Arts, the main attention is going to be on the old, rare crafts. Introducing the stove and oven builders, furniture painters, bookbinders, rope and candle makers, painters, coopers and the ’fairies’ of the kitchen, the maidens of soap, mangle and iron and washing as well… On a thematic performance they try to show the art of the everyday life with their works. 18 representatives are invited of the 18 old, rare crafts to the workshop, to show their ‘usual’ pieces of work, but they answer every question and the adventurous visitors can try the phases of their work as well. The aim is to introduce living, but old European crafts, and the old style craftsmen behind them, with their devotion, taste and ingenuity. The meeting of the folk dancers from all around Europe is held also in the Buda Castle. Beside the traditional Hungarian crafts every year there’s a guest country, who can introduce its traditional crafts. Hungary's Birthday Cake 2012 Every year a special birthday cake is prepared to celebrate the country's foundation. The Birthday Cake of Hungary is selected from several candidates each year. Applicants are asked to submit innovative and creative cakes and recipes, which reflect traditional Hungarian tastes and, in some way or other, are related to the 20 August holiday. Submitted applications are evaluated by a panel of reputable master confectioners, who select in the first round the three cakes from which another board chooses the winner of the year. All around the country, masters will start baking the Plum Dumplings Cake at the same time in hundreds of cake shops, using the same recipe and offer it to the public from 20 August.