55<^ 



The National Geographic Magazine 



tiful morning, the 20th of August, and 

 the occasion of this early demonstration 

 was to welcome in the day of the great- 

 est of Hungary's annual festivals. In 

 these days of the rapid modernizing of 

 the more traveled countries of Europe, 

 the old - fashioned festivals, religious 

 fetes, national costumes, and customs are 

 fast disappearing, and there remains no 

 more novel and entertaining sights than 

 those surrounding the ancient fete of 

 Saint Stephen of Hungary. 



For who Saint Stephen was and why 

 he was thus honored we must go back 

 some nine hundred and odd years in 

 Hungarian histor}', from which we gather 

 the following information : Vaik came 

 to the throne of the Magyar Duchy in 

 the year 997. He applied for and re- 

 ceived the title of Apostolic King from 

 Pope Sylvester H, and was crowned in 

 Budapest in the year 1000, under the 

 Christian name of Stephen. He did much 

 for his countrymen to bring them into 

 the established church, and founded 

 throughout his kingdom churches, 

 schools, and convents. His administra- 

 tion was a wise one, and so firmly did he 

 deal with the attempted uprising of the 

 "Old Magyar Religion" party that when 

 his death occurred, in 1036, he left his 

 country entirely converted to Christian- 

 ity. So much had he done for the ad- 

 vancement of the Christian faith among 

 the wild hordes of eastern Europe, and 

 added to the civilization of his subjects, 

 that he was canonized and gladly pro- 

 claimed by the Hungarians as their 

 patron saint. 



When the Saint passed away, in 1036, 

 one of his hands was amputated and 

 embalmed, and this sacred relic reposes 

 in the court chapel of the Royal Palace 

 in old Buda. Adorned with many hand- 

 some rings, it is kept in a crystal casket, 

 set in a beautiful golden reliquary orna- 

 mented with many precious stones. In 

 a special shrine behind the high altar, 

 it remains for 364 days in every year, 

 where it can only be seen by the royal 

 household and those having special per- 

 mission. On the three hundred and sixty- 



fifth day, the one set apart to do honor 

 to Saint Stephen, it is taken from its 

 resting place, and with great pomp and 

 a most brilliant escort is carried in a 

 procession to the old Matthias Church 

 for a special memorial service. This- 

 is the only time that the reliquary is 

 visible to the peasants and the people of 

 the humbler classes, and they come from: 

 all over Hungary on that day to do hom- 

 age to the sacred relic, as it is carried > 

 through the streets. 



A QUAINT OLD CITY 



Budapest has many attractive features 

 that make it in itself one of the very 

 interesting cities of Europe. Here are 

 combined the old and the new world in 

 startling contrast. This twin city is di- 

 vided by the rapidly flowing Danube, 

 and old Buda, with its ancient fortress, 

 palace, and antiquated buildings, looks 

 across at its most modern sister. Pest. 

 In the old city the streets are narrow and 

 crooked, lined with low and quaint 

 houses. There still clings to it in many 

 places an oriental look, left by the Turks, 

 whose occupation lasted more than two 

 hundred years. In Pest (to which Buda 

 is joined by several handsome bridges) 

 all is different, and in man)' ways this 

 is one of the most up-to-date of conti- 

 nental cities. 



It was in this latter city that the first 

 signs of the approaching festival began 

 on August 19. All during the early 

 morning of that da}' market wagons had 

 been coming in, laden with supplies of 

 provisions for the expected crowds of 

 visitors, and the market by noon was 

 a study of life and color rarely seen 

 in western Europe. The market build- 

 ing is new and modern in all its ap- 

 pointments. Here 3'ou see the farmers 

 and their wives, from the neighboring 

 covuitry, who have driven in with their 

 wagon-loads of produce. This they un- 

 loaded in places assigned to them by 

 the police, for everything is conducted 

 with splendid system. The women, to 

 whom the sales seem to be entirely en- 

 trusted, vie with each other in making 



