Saint Stephen’s Day: Happy Birthday, Hungary
We’re still sweeping up the confetti from Hungary’s Aug. 20 birthday celebrations. Hundreds of thousands of people attended the events across the country.
The St. Stephen's Day fireworks. Source: Gergely Botár/Kormany.hu
August 20th marks the celebration of Hungary’s establishment in 1000 AD as a Christian, European state under King Stephen, beginning Hungary’s thousand-year dedication to the West. This and the baptism of Stephen and his son Emeric was a bold statement in that era: not just about clearly choosing between Western over Eastern superpowers, but also about the embrace of what we now call “Western values.” They are rooted in Christianity: respect for others, the ideals of service to others and strength in the pursuit of peace. In his Admonitions to Emeric, King Saint Stephen – he was canonized in 1083 – spoke of mercy, devotion, patience, mightiness, humility, temperateness, prudence and honesty, and these are the values that kept Hungary alive for over a thousand years hence.
Of course, St. Stephen’s Day was given a different meaning during the communist era, but the celebration was restored as an official national holiday in 1991. Each year, it starts with the initiation of new Hungarian Defense Force officers and the decoration ceremony for the most accomplished Hungarian public figures. It ends with some of the most beautiful fireworks you’ll ever watch, always popular with tourists and locals alike.
President János Áder, encouraging unity, cooperation and national pride, reminded us of the achievements that have come through hard work. “Our country prospered and strengthened at the greatest speed when we understood our own values and came to agreement with our environment,” Áder said. “Not just the common threat of danger, but our common will to act together brought us all closer.” In the modern context, Áder was referring to the heroic response to the historic Danube floods two months ago in June, a national effort that held the river at bay and preserved both lives and property along its winding banks.
A day earlier, at a public meeting August 19 in the historic town of Székesfehérvár, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán spoke of the importance of maintaining the strong bonds of what unites us as Hungarians.
Birthday wishes arrived from friends and allies, too. The U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, did not forget to mention his Hungarian heritage in his greeting on the occasion of the first St. Stephen’s Day celebration since he took his position.
For many, St. Stephen’s Day is about the fireworks and time with family and friends. But the day’s greater significance can’t be forgotten. The feast day marks more than a thousand years of Hungary’s determined place in the Occident. Saint Stephen led early Hungary to join Christian Europe and the West, of which it is a proud and contributing member to this day.