Hungary Celebrates Day of Humour

"Hungarians have always used humour to live and to survive," Kalmár says, quoting the great Hungarian writer and humourist Frigyes Karinthy.

Kalmár was inspired by Karinthy - who once wrote an account of his treatment for a brain tumor without a hint of morbidity - to start an initiative for an International Humour Day, even lobbying UNESCO on the idea. UNESCO was not amused. So Kalmár established a Hungarian Day of Humour, on June 25, Karinthy's birthday.

For this year's Hungarian Day of Humour, the Játékszín Theatre hosted a gala evening entitled Humour as Medicine. Future plans to mark the day include opening a House of Hungarian Humour, launching a journal of Hungarian humour and establishing an award to acknowledge humourists.