20th of August is the celebration of the
foundation of the Hungarian state. This is our 4th of July. We also
call it St. Stephen’s Day, remembering Stephen I, who was our first King in
1000 and who became a saint in 1083 by Pope Gregory VII. This is our biggest
national holidays and traditional 'New Bread blessing’
from the first harvest. As it should be we
celebrate with a daylong festivals, water parade on the Danube, breath taking
air shows, procession with ‘Holy-Right’ and magnificent firework at night. 
Although
the big day is coming up soon it’s really a messy feeling to be a Hungarian –
‘Magyar’ these days. Thousands of people are struggling with survival, future seems
to be hopeless for youngsters and elder’s dreams slowly turn into shame. Thanks
for the immigration wave our population is getting smaller and smaller. In fact
the latest news is the constant’s population drop from 10 million people down
to around 7 million. Decreasing populations are not just bad for the country or
the Hungarian economy it also affects families life as well.
They
are being torn apart, and what makes this decision more painful is they have no
choices left. No matter if you are a mother of five kids, you leave the country
and need to send the money home. Are trying to start a life, but your fiancé
just got a job at aboard? Or maybe you have to leave your elder parents behind?
Yup! No time for sorrow the money is out there, outside of Hungary.
So
where do I belong, really? Here in this foreign country where I live or back
home where my heart is? And what can you do on a Day like that? Celebrate from a
long distance I guess! Sending a postcard takes a couple of days and using the
phone can reach be expensive to talk to relatives. Thank God, technology helps
us a lot. You can write an email or instant message on the Facebook instead.
Diversity of communications today is extensive. These technologies make keeping
in touch easier and also cost less. And if you really miss someone you can talk
on Skype for free although it cannot replace a loving touch.
For me it’s no different this year, we are going to watch
the fireworks together on a web cam.
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