Out with a bang: At the end of Hungary's National Day, a spectacular firework display over the Danube River in the very heart of Budapest ends the festivities. — Photo hirado.hu

(VNS) To celebrate Hungarian National Day, Viet Nam News presents an article by ambassador Torda Eszter

August 20 is one of the most important national holiidays in Hungary as we celebrate several events on this day.

First of all, this day is in honour of the coronation – and later the canonisation – of the first Christian king of Hungarian statehood, Saint Stephen.

Thus, on this day we also celebrate the foundation of the Christian State of Hungary.

The example of King Stephen I and his work are immortal as he was the first king to found the Christian Kingdom of Hungary. Saint Stephen's coronation in the year 1000 was a milestone in terms of the country's future.

The crown represented an overt break with previous traditions and contributed to the increase and international recognition of Stephen's authority as he led the Hungarians into the community of Christian peoples and countries in Western Europe. The coronation gave rise to the Christian Kingdom of Hungary.

King Stephen had to establish new institutions and adopt untested measures to implement his programme.

The most spectacular and powerful change was the establishment and operation of public administration on a territorial basis.

He created an administrative regime which covered the whole of society and applied to all. He set up a royal army, imposed taxes and contributions which were paid to the Monarch's private treasury.

The old customs and traditions were replaced by a new regime as the Hungarian people's law was supplanted by royal law.

He strove to pursue a balanced peace policy with the key empires in the 11th century, which was vital for him as the only way to complete his grandiose tasks in home policy.

Shortly after Stephen's death, healing miracles were said to have occurred at his tomb. Ladislaus I arranged for the canonisation of Stephen on August 20, 1083. Forty-five years after his death, Saint Stephen's figure entered the realm of immortality.

But this day is also the celebration of the blessing of the new bread.

The blessing of the bread is a traditionally integral part of the celebrations of August 20. Traditionally, the first bread made of newly harvested wheat was prepared for the day of St Stephen.

Bread symbolises life, livelihood and home. With the bread adorned with a ribbon in the national colours, we express that life and home are interlinked.

Bread has been held in great regard for centuries. Bread is blessed in churches all around the country on August 20.

To mark the country's August 20 national holiday, numerous festivities are held throughout the country, attended by tens of thousands. Festivities run from the morning until the late hours.

Traditionally, the Holy Right procession starts the day. In times of feuding over the throne following the death of St Stephen, the Chapter of Fehervar raised the deceased King's body from the marble sarcophagus that stood in the middle of the Basilica, and hid it in the burial chamber underneath the building.

This is when the mummified right hand was cut off from the body, and taken to the treasury of the Basilica.

Since 1989, the procession of August 20 has been organised every year, which has since become an integral part of the celebrations, celebrated after the ceremonial Holy Mass.

The country's bread is blessed at Szent Istvan (Saint Stephen) Square as part of the ceremonial Holy Mass. After the ceremony, the Holy Right is accompanied by corps of the Hungarian Defence Forces and a procession from St Stephen's Basilica.

Hungarians try to find new ways to celebrate the holiday. One of the newest traditions is to choose the Cake of the Year. Since 2007, a competition has been held by the National Guild of Hungarian Confectioners.

The competition ends with a decision by a professional jury, and the recipe of the winning cake is shared with the general public.

The guild expects the participants to come up with innovative and creative ideas, yet respecting Hungarian confectionary traditions.

At the end of the day, a spectacular firework crowns the all-day festivities, over the Danube River, right in the heart of Budapest. — VNS