Summer time

Though summer is still far away, summer time or daylight saving time (DST) started in Hungary today. We had to adjust the clocks to summer time, i.e. 3:00 at 2 a.m. One hour is "stolen" from us but it will be "returned" to us on the last Sunday of October.

In Hungary, DST was first introduced on Sunday 30th April 1916. It was observed every year until 1920, then between 1941 and 1949 and between 1954 and 1957. After a long interval, it was reintroduced on Sunday 6th April 1980 and from that time on we use summer time every year.

How much energy can be saved in Hungary by switching the clocks forward? - About 2,000-4,000 megawatt hours (MWh) daily or about 5 billion HUF (about 21,364,500 USD) annually. It is not too much - approximately 2 USD per capita per year.

What kind of impact does DST have on us? It is quite annoying to move all our clocks forward and, in October, backward. We have to get up one hour earlier in the morning thus losing an hour of sleep. But some people say that sleeping at natural light is a waste of time. However, it takes some days or even weeks while our "inner" clock adjusts to the change. In the first days, the number of accidents increases because people are sleepy and tired. And the risk for heart attack is significantly higher during the transition period to DST. But we gain an extra hour daylight which has a good influence on our general mood. We can use this extra hour for outdoor acitivities that are good for our health.

There are many pros and cons of DST. Countries at or near the Equator have no such problem. They have their standard time all year round. They can't save any daylight by turning the clocks forward since daylight hours along the Equator are similar in every season.

Earth Hour 2009 - Let's turn off the lights at 8:30 pm today

Earth Hour was conceived by WWF Australia in 2007 in order to take action on climate change. Since then, more and more countries supported Earth Hour. 82 countries are committed to Earth Hour all over the world this year.
Only one hour in darkness or at candle light. To spare those 60 minutes is not much time. Small things can often make big things. After all, we all are responsible for our planet and we should save it not only for ourselves but also for future generations.
This evening, I'd like to watch the Earth from the space as lights go out at 8:30 pm local time in each time zone.

Violets are blooming!

Though the weather is quite cold, wild violets are blooming in sunny spots in the garden. Their biological clock tells them it's time to bring flowers. It's a good sign - Nature begins to wake up from long winter sleep.

No matter how cold and windy the weather was this weekend, we worked in the garden. Curious glances through the fence followed our every motion, from the left side

and from the right side of the garden:


And Mr Watson, our lovely assistant and chief gardener, gave us a helping paw in digging around the trees, gathering twigs and sawing branches:

Sándor, József, Benedek

Sándor, József, Benedek are Hungarian male names. If you look at a Hungarian calendar, you'll see that it is full of names, at least two names each day of the year. Hungarians celebrate not only their birthdays but also their namedays. You may well think that Hungarians seize every opportunity to celebrate:-)

In the Hungarian folk belief, Sándor (March 18), József (March 19) and Benedek (March 21) usher in Spring:

"Sándor-József-Benedek bring warm weather in a sack."
(Sándor-József-Benedek zsákban hozza a meleget.)

However, they did not bring warmth this year. And the first swallows also failed to arrive on the 19th of March but hopefully, they are on their way to us.

Spring Equinox at 11:44 am (UTC) today

March 20 (sometimes March 21) marks the beginning of Spring at the northern hemisphere and the beginning of Autumn at the southern hemisphere.

The sun shines directly on the equator and the length of day and night are nearly equal at this time of the year in all parts of the world.
Why am I so happy about it? Because, from now on, the days will be longer than nights in that hemisphere of the Earth where I am living.

Budapest Spring Festival 2009

If you happen to be in Budapest, do not miss the Budapest Spring Festival which will kick off tomorrow offering a wide range of programs, including concerts, exhibitions, opera, operetta, international theater festival, folk music and dance, etc. Please have a look at the list of programs and venues at www.festivalcity.hu and make your choice.
I'll visit the Japanese Day in Thália Theatre since I am interested in Far Eastern culture and arts and also "The Little Mole and His Friends" (my favourite Czech cartoon) exhibition at Millenáris Teátrum and, of course, concerts, the theater festival... if I have time.

National Day of Hungary - The Day of the 1848 Revolution

Walking in the streets in Hungary, you can see people wearing red-white-green cockades on their coats.
Today is the Ides of March. Hungarians commemorate the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 today. This revolution grew into a war for independence from Habsburg rule.
Hungary's national poet, Sándor Petőfi (1823-1849), one of the key figures in starting the revolution, recited his poem the "National Song" (Nemzeti dal) on 15th March 1848 at the National Museum.

National Song

Rise up, Magyar, the country calls!
It's 'now or never' what fate befalls...
Shall we live as slaves or free men?
That's the question - choose your 'Amen"!
God of Hungarians, we swear unto Thee,
We swear unto Thee - that slaves we shall no longer be!

For up till now we lived like slaves,
Damned lie our forefathers in their graves -
They who lived and died in freedom
Cannot rest in dusts of thraldom.
God of Hungarians, we swear unto Thee,
We swear unto Thee - that slaves we shall no longer be!

A coward and a lowly bastard
Is he, who dares not raise the standard -
He whose wretched life is dearer
Than the country's sacred honor.
God of Hungarians, we swear unto Thee,
We swear unto Thee - that slaves we shall no longer be!

Sabers outshine chaine and fetters,
It's the sword that one's arm betters.
Yet we wear grim chains and shackles.
Swords, slash through damned manacles!
God of Hungarians, we swear unto Thee,
We swear unto Thee - that slaves we shall no longer be!

Magyar's name will tell the story
Worthy of our erstwhile glory
we must wash off - fiercely cleansing
Centuries of shame and condensing.
God of Hungarians, we swear unto Thee,
We swear unto Thee - that slaves we shall no longer be!

Where our grave-mounds bulge and huddle
Our grandson will kneel and cuddle,
While in grateful prayer they mention
All our sainted names' ascension.
God of Hungarians, we swear unto Thee,
We swear unto Thee - that slaves we shall no longer be!

(Translated by Adam Makkai)

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I'm always interested in other nations' opinion about Hungary and Hungarians. So I was curious to know whether the national day of Hungary is mentioned somewhere in the World Wide Web. I found a piece of news on our national day in Manila Bulletin. Thank you for the congratulation! Maraming salamat!

Snowdrops in the garden

The warm sunshine coaxed us into going out to the garden. It's mid-March and it's high time to start to prune the bushes and the trees. While working in the garden, I discovered the first snowdrops under a bush. This flower's name in Hungarian is hóvirág (snow flower).

World Wide Web's 20th Birthday

The world wide web marked its 20th anniversary today. WWW is a great invention, it has changed our lives, thanks to its inventor, Tim Berners-Lee. I have been using internet for eleven years and I can't imagine my life without it.