EUROPEAN PEOPLES’ FESTIVAL IN SZENTENDRE

The European Peoples’Festival started yesterday in Szentendre, Hungary for the very first time.

The festival has almost two decades of history.The first events was held in the Belgian town of Libramont in 1992 and the organisers invited participants from a town of each the then 12 EU Member States. The original aim was to commemorate the creation of the European Single Market. As a result of the first successful festival, it was decided that this event should become annual, with each town hosting the event in turn. With the growing number of the European member states, the extent of the festival has grown during the years.
The Festival provides a great opportunity to each country to reveal its culture, national costumes, traditions and economics. But most importantly, it gives the chance to get people closer personally, making friends among different nationalities.
During the week of the Festival, different sports and cultural activities are held to promote the participating nations, cities and individuals in order to implement the aim of the Festival – to foster better understanding, tolerance and cooperation among different nations.
This year, Szentedre in Hungary is hosting the Festival from July 23rd-28th. Our little charming town, just a few kilometre from Budapest received about 800 participants from 15 EU countries. Yesterday, an ecumenical church service was held on the bank of the Danube River, which is the main place of the festival. Later on the official opening ceremony started with a colourful pageantry from the town centre as far as the river bank. We have to thank the participants for the patience they showed over the too long and boring welcome speech delivered by the town’s mayor.

After his words, the Chairman of the Europeans’ People Festivals Committee, Mr. Börje Broberg fulfilled his sad duty to commemorate the victims of the tragedy in Norway on the previous day.

Accordingly to the traditions of the festival, every nation holds a little cultural show on the evenings. Yesterday, the public enjoyed the German choir and Lithuanian folk dancers performance. They were followed by the Söndörgő ensemble who is the heir and maintainer of the Balkan music and culture in Szentendre and Hungary. Their ancestors immigrated into our country several hundred years ago.

The participating towns are:


Aranda de Duero - Spain
Athlone - Ireland
Bad Segeberg - Germany
Cantanhende - Portugal
Dunoon - Scotland
Ekenäs - Finland
Frederikssund - Denmark
Gargždai - Lithuania
Libramont - Belgium
Rezekne - Latvia
San Vito Chietino - Italy
Schifflange - Luxembourg
Szentendre - Hungary
Thouarsais-Bouildroux, St.Sulpice en Pareds - France
Upplands Wäsby -Sweden

More reports on the Festival are here:

http://www.endre.info/search/label/European%20Peoples%20Festival%20Szentendre