Yesterday was St. Stephen's day, a National Holiday in Hungary, here's a quick pictorial and some background info. Enjoy.
AWE's Cultural sights and sounds, pt. 1
August 20th - St. Stephen's Day, Hungary, Europe
St. Stephen I
St. Stephen I was the first King of Hungary. He's best known for greatly expanding Hungarian control over the Carpathian Basin and establishing Christianity in the region, and is generally considered to be the founder of the Kingdom of Hungary. August 20th, 1083 marks the day when he was
canonized (declared a saint).
If you think you know the definition of '
mad bling', think again. Take a look at the below portrait of St. Stephen and his jeweled gold crown.
The celebration
On August 20th of each year, citizens gather in Budapest (pop. 1,7M), the capital of Hungary (pop. 10M), to celebrate their first king, St. Stephen I and the 'birth' of their country.
Festivities include
The crown, marching, initiation
Celebration of traditional Hungarian crafts in the Buda Castle's garden
The royal garden of the Buda Castle is a magnificent setting for many events
The Flying Bulls
North American B-25J Mitchell passing in front of the Parliament
Chance Vought F4U-4 "Corsair"
Alpha Jets
BO 105 CB chopper doing tricks
Boeing flying over the Danube
The annual Red Bull Air Race World Championship
Air gates in front of the Parliament (touching a gate comes with a hefty 6 second penalty)
Air gates put to good use...
Plane passing under the Chain Bridge
Peter Besenyei, Hungary
