Since August 17, the central events of the Saint Stephen's Day celebrations have attracted large audiences, with tens of thousands of people taking part since Saturday.
As the tradition, yesterday's celebrations began with the hoisting of the national flag and the oath-taking of officers on Kussuth Lajos Square in front of the Parliament, followed by an air parade over the Danube,
Those interested could view the Holy Crown free of charge in the Parliament between 10 am and 6 pm. The Holy Right Gold Train exhibition and the Promenade of Cities exhibition were open to visitors in Alkotmany Street. The event venue called Heroes' Way offered valuable programs for the enthusiasts of Hungarian history.
In the afternoon, a festive mass, presented by Cardinal Peter Erdo, Archbishop of Esztergom and Budapest, was held at St Stephen's Basilica. However, after the holy mass, the traditional public procession of the Holy Right around the Basilica was cancelled and took place inside St Stephen's Basilica due to the unstable weather situation.
The Street of Hungarian Flavors awaited gastronomy lovers with culinary delights and music and dance shows all day long.
In the evening, Zoltan Kovacs announced that the fireworks display would start depending on weather conditions. The head of the operational team responsible for the safe organization of the festival said: "If there is an unexpected adverse change in the weather, the operational team will be able to intervene immediately and will provide information without delay. People's safety is our top priority."
The fireworks display, presented over a larger area than ever before, began at ten pm after the thunderstorms had subsided. Spectators admired the dazzling lights and enjoyed the performance by internationally acclaimed Hungarian artists, featuring important events in Hungarian national history. Indeed, this year's fireworks show was bigger and more spectacular than ever before.
