The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-03-09
HUNGER SUPPLANTS FETES
WHERE WOMEN WORE
TWENTY PETTICOATS

TWENTY PETTICOATS
Budapest now is. capital Of
shrunken Hungary. nation reduced
to a fourth its former size, both in
respect to its area and population.
The famous city which first expe-
rienced anarchy and carnage during
the era Of Bella Kun and his cOmmu-
nistic government, now feels the pangs
of hunger, and can scarcely hope to
regain it's former importance, pros
perity and gayety during the lifetime
of it's present inhabitants, If ever.
The Budapest of today offers a pa
thetic contrast to the care-free days
Of such fetes as that of st. Stephens
before the war.
That historic celebration, when men
wore slit skirts and the women
donned 20 petticoats, is described in
the following bulletin from the Ma
tional Geographic society, based on a
communication from Dewitt Clinton
Falls:
For who Saint Stephen was, and
why he was thus hOnOred, We must
go back some nine hundred and odd
years in Hungarian history, from
which we gather the following infor-
nation: Walk came to the throne Of
the Magyar Duchy in the year 907.
He applied for and received the title
of Apostolic king from Pope Sylves-
ter II. 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 converts. His admins
tration was a wise one, and SO firmly
did he deal with the attempted upris-
ing of the Old Magyar Religion party
that when his death occurred, in 1886
he left his country entirely converted
to Christianity. So much had he done
for the advancement Of the Christian
faith among the wild hordes Of east
ern Europe, and added to the civil
zation of his subjects, that he was
canonized and gladly proclaimed BY
the Hungarians as their patron saint
when the Saint passed away, ir
1896, one of his hands was amputatet
and embalmed. and this sacred relit
reposes In the court chapel Of tht
| Royal Palace in old Buda. Adorned
with many handsome rings. it is KEEP
In a crystal casket, set In a beautiful
golden reliquary ornAmented witt
many precious stones. In a specia
shrine behind the high altar, it re
manned for 1854 days In every year
where 1t could be seen only by tn
royal household, and those having
special permission. On the three hun
dred and sixty-fifth day. the one Sc
apart to do honor to Saint Stephen
It was taken from its resting place
and with great p0mp and most bril-
liant escort, carried in a procession
to the old Matthias church for q spe
cial memorial service.
The first thing that attracted on
attention, as we drove by the walking
crowds, was the change of costume o
the peasants from the day before
Then all were In their working
clothes, but today they were arraye'
in all their glory. The men had n
tanned their nat hats, but had general
" adorned them with flying ribbon
Of the national colors-red. white an
green. The white dlvided-skirt-lik
trousers were now ornamented on tn
bottoms Of the legs with fringe, q
coarse lace. and the dark workin
100. hod hoop lotd oaiHo Tn thai
place were gala enes, always colore
soft browns, reds and greens-an
deliberately braided with different CO
ored cords.
THE women retained the colore
head handkerchiefs, but they yer
newer and brighter than those wor
ON Saturday. Their waists were gel
orally of white or light cotton mat
rial. sometimes gaily ornamented wit
coarse-cOlored embroidery. It va
the skirts that were the unique thing
about the costumes. OF the brighte.
colors, they were accOrdion-plaite
and stood out in the most remarkab
manner. How they accomplished tn
was a mystery to the ladies Of o.
party, until our trusty guide and Il
terpreter had been interviewed. Fro
: him 1t was learned that no Hung
rian peasant woman considers herse
> properly dressed for a gala Occasie
: unless she has on at least twenty pc
ticoats."
!. Na~v AVyRA