Festivities were abundant all across the proud nation of Hungary, marking the 1023rd anniversary of the state’s foundation. Evidently, the lion’s share of the most elaborate celebratory events took place in the capital city, Budapest.
All weekend, from 18–20 August, Budapesters had the opportunity to indulge themselves at the Street of Hungarian Flavours at the Várkert Bazaar. There, a deluge of vendors were awaiting them, peddling a plethora of classic Hungarian food, from sausages, lángos, and all kinds of roast meat, to sweets like kürtőskalács, and, the piéce de résistance, the Nation’s Cake.
Each year during the summer, ahead of the national holiday, the Hungarian Confectioners’ Trade Association selects which pastry to give the Nation’s Cake title to. This year, it was the creation of master confectioner Pál Lakatos from Szigetszentmiklós, the ‘Tipsy Fig Respectus’, which received the honour. As the name suggests, this cake contains fig and some alcohol (namely, the traditional Hungarian Tokaji Aszú wine); as well as sour cherry, walnuts, salt caramel, and honey-milk chocolate.
In the morning of 20 August,
spectators were treated to a breathtaking display by the pilots of the Hungarian Air Force at the Military Air Show, above the Danube River.
Apart from military jets and helicopters, some civilian aircraft took part in the parade as well. This event was tied in with the Hungarian Defence Forces’ Officer Induction Ceremony.
Outside Budapest, Augustfest welcomed visitors in Debrecen, in the Eastern part of Hungary, from 17–20 August, to celebrate the soon-ending summer and the national holiday. The attractions were clearly aiming for whole families with small children, as the festive visitors could ride bumper cars, jump around in bungee trampolines, or get some spooks in a haunted house. In Eger, the whole weekend was dedicated to the celebration of King Saint Stephen of Hungary and the foundation of the Hungarian state, with a series of concerts leading up to the celebratory fireworks at István Dobó Square.
In Esztergom, President Katalin Novák delivered a speech marking the holiday.
Speaking of fireworks, evidently, the greatest display of them was in Budapest, again, above the Danube River. Over 34,000 pyrotechnical effects and accompaniment by Norbert Elek entertained the immense crowd of onlookers, for their viewing and listening pleasure.
Rockets were fired from 230 launching points on the banks of the Danube, and some from platoon boats floating on the river as well. 896 drones were also deployed for greater visual effects. The crescendo of the fireworks show was when a depiction of the Holy Cross was formed in the sky above Budapest, made up of illuminated drones.
This was the largest fireworks and lights show ever held in Europe.
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