Night of Museums
Dear Reader,
Midsummer Night and St. Martin's Day are two cheerful holidays rooted in folk tradition. The first is a celebration of early summer, and the latter has been an autumn festivity for many centuries.
The summer solstice on June 21, in almost all cultures from Austria to Mexico has been the feast of the Sun and brightness, believed by pagans to represent the constant struggle between light and darkness. Before the Christian era ancient peoples lit fires that night in the hope of supporting the Sun in its epic fight against darkness. According to their beliefs, folks escaped darkness and related evil spells at least that one night. Some aspects of the tradition survived and became part of Church ritual.
St. Martin's Day is based on entirely different sources. On that day, in the middle of November, feasts were held across the country to ensure an abundance of food and drink throughout the year. According to the adage, “Those who do not eat goose on St. Martin's Day shall go hungry all year round." Records documenting goose dinners go back to the 12th century. In Hungary St. Martin’s Day marks the end the farming season: on that day farm-hands received their annual pay and a goose in bonus, as the many animals grown fat over the summer had to be culled before the onset of winter. And since a goose dinner calls for new wine, St. Martin's Day goose culling usually turned into a wild bash.
For the past seven years, Midsummer Night has been famous for another reason as well: the summer celebration of museums, called the Night of Museums, which has attracted more and more visitors year after year. The programs, the atmosphere and the high number of visitors have been astounding – a huge success exceeding all expectations. The public has been asking for years: why is this the only such night during the year?
Encouraged by all the success, we thought why not turn a late autumn night into a lively and cheerful party within the walls of museums exuding awe and excitement.
So, for the first time this year we will also have the Autumn Night of Museums.
On Saturday, November 14, in Budapest and around the country several dozen museums will put on a variety of programs on the closing weekend of the Autumn Festival of Museums. In Budapest 30 and in other cities a total of 47 museums will hold programs late into the night. All over the country institutions are preparing special programs offering sights and sounds never seen or heard in museums at other times of the year; there’ll be music, dance and, of course, St. Martin's Day tasting and much merrymaking.
Taking a cue from the early summer museum night, we hope to establish a tradition; our goal is to entertain adults, children and young people in an attractive and refined setting, making sure they receive valuable impressions, become regular museum visitors and gain fresh energy after a night-out in late autumn.
I am convinced it will be worthwhile going out on this special evening! I wish everyone a good time!
Dr. István Hiller
Minister of Education and Culture
Midsummer Night and St. Martin's Day are two cheerful holidays rooted in folk tradition. The first is a celebration of early summer, and the latter has been an autumn festivity for many centuries.
The summer solstice on June 21, in almost all cultures from Austria to Mexico has been the feast of the Sun and brightness, believed by pagans to represent the constant struggle between light and darkness. Before the Christian era ancient peoples lit fires that night in the hope of supporting the Sun in its epic fight against darkness. According to their beliefs, folks escaped darkness and related evil spells at least that one night. Some aspects of the tradition survived and became part of Church ritual.
St. Martin's Day is based on entirely different sources. On that day, in the middle of November, feasts were held across the country to ensure an abundance of food and drink throughout the year. According to the adage, “Those who do not eat goose on St. Martin's Day shall go hungry all year round." Records documenting goose dinners go back to the 12th century. In Hungary St. Martin’s Day marks the end the farming season: on that day farm-hands received their annual pay and a goose in bonus, as the many animals grown fat over the summer had to be culled before the onset of winter. And since a goose dinner calls for new wine, St. Martin's Day goose culling usually turned into a wild bash.
For the past seven years, Midsummer Night has been famous for another reason as well: the summer celebration of museums, called the Night of Museums, which has attracted more and more visitors year after year. The programs, the atmosphere and the high number of visitors have been astounding – a huge success exceeding all expectations. The public has been asking for years: why is this the only such night during the year?
Encouraged by all the success, we thought why not turn a late autumn night into a lively and cheerful party within the walls of museums exuding awe and excitement.
So, for the first time this year we will also have the Autumn Night of Museums.
On Saturday, November 14, in Budapest and around the country several dozen museums will put on a variety of programs on the closing weekend of the Autumn Festival of Museums. In Budapest 30 and in other cities a total of 47 museums will hold programs late into the night. All over the country institutions are preparing special programs offering sights and sounds never seen or heard in museums at other times of the year; there’ll be music, dance and, of course, St. Martin's Day tasting and much merrymaking.
Taking a cue from the early summer museum night, we hope to establish a tradition; our goal is to entertain adults, children and young people in an attractive and refined setting, making sure they receive valuable impressions, become regular museum visitors and gain fresh energy after a night-out in late autumn.
I am convinced it will be worthwhile going out on this special evening! I wish everyone a good time!
Dr. István Hiller
Minister of Education and Culture
