St. Steven's Day in Budapest - darn good party!

August 20th is St. Steven's day in Hungary. Istvan (in the local tongue) was the first king of Hungary and became a saint due to the fact that he converted the country to Christianity. Today, his day marks the national holiday of Hungary and believe me that the Hungarians - mostly known for their solemn mood - do know how to celebrate!

The day started with a boring event at Heroes Square with a speech by the president about some trouble with the Slovaks. However, it soon "warmed up" when the Red Bull Air Race entered high-gear. For this air race, pilots steer small planes UNDER a bridge and in between floating poles, all over the Danube river in the middle of the city! If you haven't seen this one before, you have to check it out on YouTube below.

And just to keep things interesting, the bridge happens to be loaded with explosives. Yes, you heard right! During the race, the bridges were already loaded with the fireworks to be used for the half-hour show that would close the day. In fact, they placed fireworks on two bridges, on barges on the river between the two bridges and on a neighboring hill for a 360 explosa-palooza of an event. If you have a 1/2 hour "to burn", check it out.

And oh yes, in the Cathedral of St. Steven is stored his mummufied right-hand. Once a year, on this day, it is taken for its annual walk followed by a long procession of priests and followers.