This entry is to remember the four people who lost their lives yesterday evening in Budapest when a thunderstorm hit the fireworks parade which ended our national holiday celebrations of the 20th of August. There were around one and a half million people on the streets of the Hungarian capital when the rapidly arriving storm reached Budapest. Panic broke out and people started to flee. Many of them fortunately found shelter in the Underground but 500 hundred people were injured and four people died as the strong wind (80-90 km/hr) blew tiles off the houses as well as different objects and it was hailing at the same time.To top of the trouble temporarily built tents also started to collapse in the tempest.

The doctors and nurses in hospitals responded to the emergency quickly and they did and still do their best to assist people and save lives. Thank you for their painstaking work.

As everybody, I also have my opinion of the causes of the tragedy but would like to keep it to myself so I will rather stop here now. I feel very sad that such a horrible tragedy could happen in the 21st century in Hungary.

My heart goes out to the victims and their relatives.

Today, on the 20th of August we Hungarians all over the world celebrate our first king Stephen I. { reigned : (997-1001 as a prince) (1001– 1038 as king) } and the foundation of the Hungarian State. King Stephen was a strong ruler and realized in time that we Magyars (that’s how we call ourselves) need to join the Christian Europe by doing away with the tribal, nomade way of living and establish a strong, independent state if we want to survive here in the middle of Europe. He conquered enormous odds and finally managed to reach his goal by spreading Christian faith, organizing the church and a feudal state system with all its institutions and putting an end to paganism. It was not only he but also his father Prince Géza ( reigned 972-997) who did a lot for us to find our place in Europe in the long run but it was Stephen (canonized on the 20th of August in 1083) who in a way completed the work.
Long after the death of Stephen I his right hand was found intact (when he was removed from his original grave) and the Catholic church regards this holy body part as a relic. There is a festive procession every year on this day when the Sacred Right Hand is carried along on the streets of Budapest.
Besides, we have lots of celebrations nationwide on the 20th of August like the Flower Carnival in Debrecen with lots of lovely flower compositions. Other open-air programs include the Celebration of Crafts in the Buda Castle in Budapest which is not only a market of folk artefacts but you can also learn how to make traditional crafts like pots, baskets, wood-carven objects from craftsmen or see how certain Hungarian dishes were made in old times and try them (for example the ’mézeskalács’ = honey-cake :-)). At the same time folklore programs with plenty of music and traditional Hungarian dances make the day more colourful everywhere with an air-show over the Danube and a water-parade which are worth mentioning as well. Even in the tiniest village there are balls and the atmosphere is carnival-like. Fortunately, the weather is lovely and if it stays like this then beautiful fireworks will end the day as usual.