Saint Stephen Day commemorations

The feast day of Saint Stephen I, the first King of Hungary and founder of the Christian Hungarian nation, is marked by religious and cultural commemorations across various regions.

In Lendva, the Hungarian minority participated in festive masses and wreath-laying ceremonies at a statue of Saint Stephen. Orban Dušan, president of the Hungarian Minority Self-Government Council of Prekmurje, highlighted that the values of Christian faith, order, and patriotism established by the king serve as a foundation for the community and the protection of minority rights.

In Transcarpathia, specifically in Aknaszlatinna, the Transcarpathian Hungarian Cultural Alliance organized central events including student performances and ceremonies at the Saint Stephen church to strengthen local identity. István Dobsa, representing the alliance, likened the preservation of the Hungarian language and education in the region to “sowing seeds for the future.”

Additional festivities took place in Szentkirály, which included art exhibitions at the Zarkaházi Szily Castle, a celebratory mass featuring the blessing of new bread, and the restoration of a historic stone cross dating from 1823. In Szenttamás, the local community gathered at the Calvary site for an outdoor mass on the eve of the national holiday, a tradition serving as a symbol of faith and unity for the local Hungarian population.