After necking pints of Guinness on St Patrick's Day, it is time to celebrate another patron saint from the British Isles. On April 22nd, a St George's Day charity party will be thrown at the Budapest Marriott Hotel in honour of England's patron. It will be quintessentially English but open to everyone. So pin a rose to your lapel, and meet up with the capital's English-speaking community. Listen to a Shakespeare recital, taste whisky and gin, feast on fish & chips and tikka masala, enjoy live performances (including a David Bowie Tribute), and win prizes at Blackjack. And while you are having fun, you can help children affected by the earthquakes in Turkey & Syria via an auction supporting UNICEF.
St George's Day
Saint George has been England's patron since 1415, marking 23 April as one of the most important feast days in the English calendar. But England is not the only country to recognise him. Many other countries have their celebrations and ceremonies in honour of the saint, such as Hungary, Georgia, Spain, Bulgaria, and even Jordan and Ethiopia. St George stands for the courage to face adversity to defend the innocent, has a unifying quality and is a positive symbol of multiculturalism.
St George's Day celebration in Budapest
So a celebration dedicated to him is well deserved. And the upcoming event is right around the corner: on April 22nd, you can try and enjoy particularly English things at the Budapest Marriott Hotel. The programme includes a Shakespeare recital by Master of Ceremonies Alexis Lathame and loads of music. You can listen to the English hyme & 'sporting anthem' Jerusalem by Lucie Jurankova, and see concert pianist Mariann Marczi perform pieces by Elgar, Purcell, and Handel. Then two bands will get the party started: Just Show Band and then the 'Bowie Boys' will take the stage. From around 11 pm, DJ Woods will spin English tunes in the Marriott Ballroom.
At the end of the day, nationality is an accident of birth, and so the goal of this event is to bring the international community together in Budapest to extend the bonds of friendship and solidarity in an enjoyable way - says Stephen Linfitt, a long-term resident of Budapest originally from the UK, who has staged St George’s Day events several times.
At the end of the day, nationality is an accident of birth, and so the goal of this event is to bring the international community together in Budapest to extend the bonds of friendship and solidarity in an enjoyable way - says Stephen Linfitt, a long-term resident of Budapest originally from the UK, who has staged St George’s Day events several times.
The event is open to all: there won’t be any formal Black Tie style gala dinner, but a ‘Street Food Buffet’ featuring English favourites like cheese, fish & chips, or chicken tikka masala. You can taste gin and whisky made in the Cotswolds and try Hungarian wine from Saint George Hill near Balaton by Gilvesy.
You will get to meet His Majesty's Ambassador to Hungary, Paul Fox, learn more about the quintessentially English game of cricket and win fun prizes at Roulette and Blackjack. And there will be a special raffle too to support Food Bank Aid for Ukrainian Refugees in Budapest.
Tickets
Ticket prices range from HUF 16 000 to HUF 22 000 per person. You can also reserve a Gala Table, which seats ten people and comes with a bottle of Unicum, one of Hungary's national drinks (HUF 200 000). Early bird tickets are on sale until Friday (14 April).
See the details here and get tickets here.
