The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1921-05-06
HUNGER SUPPLANTS FETES
WHERE WOMEN WORE
TWENTY PETTICOATS

WEN re llOOAl
Budapest now is capital of
shrunken Hungary, a 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 its former Importance, pros
perity and gayety during the lifetime
of its 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 997.
He applied for and received the title
of Apostolic king from Pope Sylves-
ter III, 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 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 civili-
cation OF his subjects, that he was
canonized and gladly proclaimed by
the HungarianS as their patron saint.
when the Saint passed away, in
1896, 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 handsome rings, it is kept
In a crystal casket, set in beautiful
golden reliQuary~ ornamented with
many precious stones. In a special
shrine behind the high altar, it re-
manned for 364 days in every year,
where ii could be seen only by the
royal household, and those having
special permission. On the three hun
dred and sixty-f$th day, the one set
apart to do honor TO Saint Stephen,
1t was taken from its resting place,
and with great pomp and a most bril-
liant escort. carried in a procession
to the old Matthias church for a spe-
cial memorial service.
The first thing that attracted our
attention. as we drove by the walking
crowds was the change of costume of
the peasants from the day before.
Then all were in their working
clothes, but today they were arrayed
in all their glory. The men had re-
tanned their fiat hats, but had general
ly adorned them with flying ribbons
of the national colors-red. white and
green. The white divded-skirt-like
trousers were now Ornamented on the
bottoms of the legs with fringe. or
coarse lace, and the dark working
coats had been laid aside. In their
place were gala ones, always colored
soft browns reds and greenland
deliberately braided with different col
ored cords.
The women retained the colOred
head handkerchiefs, but they were
newer and brighter than those worn
on Saturday. Their waists were gen.
orally of white or light cotton mate
rial. sometimes gaily ornamented with
coarSe-colored embroidery. 1t was
the skirts that were the unique things
colorS. they were accOrdiOn-plaited
and stood out i'm the most remarkable
manner How they accomplished this
was a mystery to the ladies of our
party, until our truSty guide and in
terpreter had been interviewed. From
him it was learned that no Hunga-
rian peasant woman considers herself
properly dressed for a gala occasion
unless she has on ut least twenty pet
ticoats.'
-I