St. Stephen’s Day holds a long and interesting history. It begins with Stephen the Grand Prince of the Hungarians who laid the foundations of the state. Until the end of the 10th century, the Hungarians were in conflict with other European countries. In 955 A.D., Hungarian tribes suffered a major military loss and the tribal heads decided to give up their raids and concentrate on building a strong state. Stephen was of the view that the conversion of Magyar to Christianity can serve as a great way of settling down and strengthening the state.

Stephen received a crown from Pope Sylvester II and the honor of becoming the first King of Hungary in 1000 A.D. His crown is considered a holy treasure and is still found in Hungary’s precious treasures. Stephen died on August 15, 1038 A.D. On August 20, 1083 A.D., he was made a Catholic saint. Ladislaus I declared August 20 a holy day and it was first celebrated in 1092 A.D. It was celebrated as St. Stephen’s Feast Day until 1771 when Queen Maria Theresia expanded it from a church feast to an official national holiday. It further went through amendments and in 1950 the holiday’s name was changed to Constitution Day. The Hungarian parliament reinstated it as the commemoration of St. Stephen’s Feast Day to celebrate the foundation of the Hungarian state. In the canonization process, it was found that King Stephen’s right hand had not decayed at all, hence it was removed and can now be seen in St. Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest.

How to celebrate St. Stephen’s Day?

Attend a ceremony

You can also attend some official ceremonies arranged specifically on this day. A Hungarian flag is raised at Kossuth Square in front of parliament. It is followed by a food festival where the Cake of Hungary is presented. Then a mass in St. Stephen’s Basilica and a march in the honor of Holy Right-Hand takes place. St. Stephen’s day can be celebrated by attending any of these events.

Enjoy the cake and the new bread

Making a birthday cake for a country is not a piece of cake. You can also enjoy the Birthday Cake of Hungary by simply looking for a bakery offering the recipe so you don’t miss out on your chance of having a slice. This cake is selected from the annual contest (arranged by the National Association of Hungarian Confectioners) that famous bakers participate in and the one with the most innovative ideas wins. Both sugar- and sugar-free cakes are prepared. This day is also called ‘the festival of the new bread’ so you can also have a bite from freshly baked bread as well.

Watch fireworks

Watch the massive display of fireworks that takes place at the bank of the river Danube each year on this day. These fireworks are the highlight of this day and are launched at multiple intervals. They serve as the closure of this day and they can be best seen from the rooftops and the riverfront. The launching of fireworks on this day has taken place since 1966.

source: National Today

NEW YEAR – EUROPE

On New Year’s Eve most European capitals are transformed into party venues. If you think you know these cities well, you might still be pleasantly surprised by giving a chance to a new perspective. New Year’s Eve celebrations definitely provide visitors with a unique experience worth travelling for.

London New Year’s Day Parade

If you want to end the year with a Big Bang, watch Big Ben strike midnight and enjoy the spectacular fireworks by the London Eye. If you’re not worse for the wear, join the crowds on the 1^st of January in the New Year’s Day Parade, which features over 10,000 participants from across continents: marching bands, dancers, cheerleaders, acrobats, musicians and street performers.

Berlin – one gigantic party

If you don’t mind the cold, have fun on the party avenue between the Victory Column and the Brandenburg Gate, where over a million people party all night long. There’s dancing in the side streets, entertainment by international stars and incredible laser and light animations all over the sky. Foods from around the world add to the party atmosphere culminating in the midnight fireworks.

Prague – New Year’s Eve Cruise

If mingling with the crowd is not your thing, why not try going on a river cruise at New Year’s Eve. While the beautifully illuminated city goes by, enjoy the comforts of a heated deck, dinner and a champagne toast. You have the choice of party boats as well, ranging from entertainment by DJ, jazz band to live dance music, or a luxurious romantic dinner accompanied by piano.

capital – főváros
venue – helyszín
pleasantly – kellemesen
perspective – nézőpont
to provide  – biztosítani, ellátni
to be worth – érdemes lenni, megéri valami
to strike – üt (itt óra)
to not be worse for the wear – nem viseli meg
to feature – fellép, szerepel az eseményen
cheerleader – pompom lány
performer – előadóművész
to mind something – zavar valakit
avenue – sétány
entertainment – szórakozás
incredible – hihetetlen
to culminate in – kicsúcsosodik valamiben
to mingle with the crowd – elkeveredik a tömegben
cruise – sétahajózás
illuminated – kivilágított
heated deck – fűtött fedélzet
toast – pohárköszöntő
a choice of – választék
to accompany – kísérni

Match the words with the definitions.

answers: 1-e 2-d 3-b 4-a 5-c

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Why cooking sausages in a fireworks factory before bonfire night is a bad idea

Bonfire night came early for one hungry OAP when he foolishly decided to cook sausages in a fireworks factory.  

Hung Feng, 72, was preparing a snack when the flames from his cooking started a blaze that completely destroyed the whole building, firefighters believe. He had promised to ‘keep an eye’ on the Chinese factory for his son, the building’s owner, Ho Feng, 48, who had gone out for the evening. ‘When I left I know that my father told me he was going to cook some Lap Cheong (Chinese sausages),’ explained Mr Ho. ‘As he was a firework maker as well it didn’t occur to me that I would need to warn him.’

The whole building was destroyed in an explosion caused by the fire, sending tens of thousands of pounds worth of fireworks up in smoke. As firefighters tackled the blaze in Penggang village, Hubei province, locals were treated to a spectacular two-hour fireworks display. Mr Ho added: ‘It is a tragedy but at least my father escaped, he ran out and was unhurt.’

source: www.metro.co.uk

OAP = old age pensioner – öregségi nyugdíjas
foolishly – meggondolatlanul
fireworks factory – tűzijátékgyár
flame – láng
blaze – nagy, lobogó tűz
to destroy – elpusztítani
whole – egész, teljes
to keep an eye on something – rajta tartja a szemét, vigyáz valamire
owner – tulajdonos
to go out for the evening – elmenni valahova szórakozni
to occur – felmerülni
to warn somebody – figyelmeztetni valakit
explosion – robbanás
worth of – valamilyen értékű
to tackle something – megbirkózni valamivel
locals – helybéliek
spectacular – látványos
to add – hozzátenni
at least – legalább
unhurt – sértetlen, ép

Find the right ending.

answers: 1-d 2-a 3-b 4-e 5-c

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