The Feast Day Of St. Stephen of Hungary
August 20 is the feast day of Saint Stephen of Hungary. It is also marks Hungary's biggest national holiday because without Stephen I, Hungary may not have emerged as a Christian nation over a thousand years ago.
Stephen came into the world as a pagan named Vajk, but he eventually embraced Christ, unified at least some of the pagan tribes of the Carpathian Basin, and founded Hungary as a nation under the banner of Christianity.
Quite a legacy -- one that continues to endure in Hungary today. For example, the street I live on is called Saint Stephen Street. The local church in my village is also dedicated to Hungary's founder. His image also appears on the 10,000 forint bank note, and every August 20 the nation puts on a spectacular fireworks show in Budapest in his honor.
As I said, quite a legacy . . . though I remain ambiguous about what that legacy or the revered king-saint really means to the average Hungarian today.
Saint Stephen - Béla Klimkovics - 1854
Stephen came into the world as a pagan named Vajk, but he eventually embraced Christ, unified at least some of the pagan tribes of the Carpathian Basin, and founded Hungary as a nation under the banner of Christianity.
Quite a legacy -- one that continues to endure in Hungary today. For example, the street I live on is called Saint Stephen Street. The local church in my village is also dedicated to Hungary's founder. His image also appears on the 10,000 forint bank note, and every August 20 the nation puts on a spectacular fireworks show in Budapest in his honor.
As I said, quite a legacy . . . though I remain ambiguous about what that legacy or the revered king-saint really means to the average Hungarian today.
Saint Stephen - Béla Klimkovics - 1854
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