International Women’s Day was first organized on the last Sunday of February in 1909 in the US, but only became official after German revolutionary Clara Zetkin proposed 8 March to be the day that annually honours working women. At the time, the focal point was to draw attention to women’s fight to win the right to vote.

In Hungary, the special day was already established before World War I, but only became “obligatory” in the Rákosi Era. The United Nations declared the celebration of women official in 1977. If you want to surprise the most special ladies in your life, Y Generáció student employment agency will help you find a suitable job to cover your expenses and more.

Dr. Mária Telkes (1900-1995)

Born in Budapest, Hungarian-American biophysicist, scientist and inventor Dr. Máris Telkes was known for working on solar energy technologies, and as she was considered one of the founders of solar thermal storage systems, she was nicknamed the “Sun Queen”. At the age of 25, she moved to the United States, where she was hired to work at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Her task was to investigate the energy produced by living organisms. She invented a miniature desalination unit called solar salt-water still which was used on lifeboats during WWII, saving the lives of torpedoed sailors and downed airmen who could collect potable water via solar power when abandoned at sea.

Estée Lauder (1906-2004)

Today a household name, the renowned cosmetic brand was founded by a Hungarian lady called Josephine Esther Mentzer, who was raised in Queens, New York by her Hungarian mother and Czech father. She became interested in beauty as a teenager when her Hungarian uncle, a chemist came to live with the family. The man created velvety skin creams and taught Esther too; she learned not only how to concoct the wonderful creams but also the ways to apply them to women’s faces. After marrying Joseph Lauter (later changed to Lauder), they founded their own company. The rest is history.

Magda Szabó (1917-2007)

Kossuth Prize winning Hungarian novelist Magda Szabó is the most translated Hungarian author with publications in 42 countries, in over 30 languages. She graduated as a teacher of Latin and Hungarian at the University of Debrecen in 1940. From 1945, she worked in the Ministry of Religion and Education for around 4 years. Her probably most famous novel Az ajtó (The Door), which revolves around the relationship between a prominent Hungarian writer and her mysterious housekeeper, was published in 1987. The book got a very warm reception worldwide and was translated into English in 1995 and then again in 2005.

Vera Rózsa (1917-2010)

Opera singer, voice teacher and vocal consultant Vera Rózsa was nicknamed “Mother of the Stars” since she tutored numerous world-famous singers (Karita Mattila, Anne Sofie von Otter, Sarah Walker, Tom Krause, and many others) throughout her career. She began her musical studies at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where one of her instructors was Zoltán Kodály, famous Hungarian composer and conductor. In 1945 she was hired as a soloist at Budapest Opera, but a year later she left to join the Vienna State Opera. As a consequence of her damaged lung, she developed expertise in breathing technique and could make singing easier for many future students.

Zsazsa Gábor (1917-2016)

As a Golden Globe recipient, Hungarian beauty queen-model-actress-singer-socialite Zsazsa Gábor had the whole package. She began her stage career in Vienna but moved to Hollywood in 1941 where she gained fame thanks to her outstanding beauty and talent. Although she was adored by her fans, she also experienced the shady side of the spotlight. Zsazsa became infamous for her one-time arrest and for marrying billionaires. Altogether, she tied the knot 9 times. She is one of the not too many Hungarians who have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Main photo: The Estée Lauder Companies (Facebook)

Azúr Bagoly

Spring is nesting season, no wonder why the creative instinct awakens in most women as birds start chirping. Furniture painting became a pretty popular activity in the past few years (especially among the ladies), because there is no need for any specific qualification or talent, and it gives you a lot of freedom when it comes to interior decoration. In one or two days almost any furniture can be transformed in a way that it fits into the style you pictured in your head. A furniture paint package could be a great surprise for anyone; choose products that do not contain harmful components! Azúr Bagoly sells natural and eco-friendly milk paint which you can use easily, even if you’ve never held a paint brush in your hand. Check out their website!

Karla Bags

Unique gifts are always more precious to the heart. What can make a gift like that even more special? How about them being eco-friendly? Kata Sugár, aka the designer behind Karla bags have been working on her beautiful bags since 2015 with sustainability being the most important aspect she has always kept in mind. Using leftover materials, she creates shiny gym bags, huge shoppers and minimalist wallets which are all characterized by a clean design. Every item that leaves her workshop is a limited edition piece since only 1-8 are produced, this way guaranteeing the uniqueness of the fashionable gems. Regarding their quality, you can rely on them long-term, and thanks to the bags being washable, there is one less thing to worry about.

VeraNatura

It is up to you to turn your life around, all you have to do is set your mind to always strive to live a natural, healthy lifestyle. Products like that of VeraNatura’s could come in handy; the family-managed business produces artisan natural cosmetics mostly from bio ingredients, with many years of expertise and experience. Just like the brand’s name suggests, VeraNatura captures the essence of nature in multi-functional products so that people with sensitive skin and children can use them safely. No artificial fragrance, no derivatives of petroleum. Their recipes incorporate everything that makes a cream, deodorant or bathing substance fine and effective. One more plus point: VeraNatura’s packaging materials are sustainable glass containers!

NAVONA Fashion

Fashion is a way to express yourself and help boost your self-esteem. People with good style pay attention to many things from the colour, cut and fabric of their clothes, but sometimes even the bests of the bests need some reliable advice. For all the ladies out there who want to show the world their inner goddess we recommend visiting Rózsa Megla’s Hold utca fashion sanctuary since she knows all the golden rules a stylish woman should follow. The NAVONA saloon offers figure flattering, clean cut, urban chic pieces (business and elegance) straight from the catwalk, designed in the spirit of sustainability. Fans of unique fashion items can be sure they won’t see these clothes on anyone else. Please call to make an appointment: +36209511939.

1054 Budapest, Hold utca 21.

Lush

Some ladies love to put make-up on and glow, others prefer to rock their natural beauty instead. And yet, this doesn’t mean they have no common ground when it comes to cosmetic brands, because there’s something all women enjoy: pampering their body with soothing, smoothing and softening products. Lush’s Hello Gorgeous gift set is a treasure chest filled with skin-friendly treats suitable for every lady in the universe. An exfoliating shower scrub packed with mineral-rich sea salt ensures the refreshment of skin from head to toe, while a dreamy and luxurious hand cream and a light face cream keeps things hydrated. For the sensual healing, a bath bomb with the fragrant blend of jasmine & ylang ylang and fruity bathing foam come to the rescue.

1052 Budapest, Deák Ferenc utca 21.

The Hours

Directed by Stephen Daldry (the man behind Billy Elliot and The Reader), this movie is based on Michael Cunningham’s novel of the same title, and revolves around three very different women seperated by time, but connected to each other by their battles of freedom, responsibility and identity. The Hours meditates on mental illness, sexuality, and the inner lives of women through a feminist pioneer, a lost housewife, and a rebellious free woman.

The Descent

British horror-maestro Neil Marshall’s most daring film focuses on a group of young women who venture upon a dangerous caving expedition of a cave system nobody knows anything about. The friends quickly become trapped, and they soon find themselves hunted by flesh-eating, blind humanoids. One of the few feminist-approved horror movies, The Descent is a must see, regardless of your sex.

The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc

Considered by many as a feminist icon, Joan of Arc, the French heroine of the Hundred Year’s War, has inspired countless filmmakers in the past century, including Cecile B. DeMille, Robert Bresson and Otto Preminger. Luc Besson’s rendition of the virgin of Orléans isn’t the most historically accurate or cinematically excellent version of the story, but at least it’s stunning to look at and boasts a phenomenal cast.

When Harry met Sally…

Written by Nora Ephron (You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle) and directed by Academy Award winner Rob Reiner, this touching and sharply written movie set a new standard for all subsequent romantic comedies. The film asks us the age-old question: does sex make it impossible for men and women to be true friends? We see the dilemma in action through the decade-long relationship between Harry and Sally, played by the brilliant duo of Billy Chrystal and Meg Ryan.

Scenes from a Marriage

Totaling around 5 hours, Ingmar Bergman’s acclaimed mini-series documents ten years of Marianne and Johan’s relationship: we meet them after having been married happily for ten years, and starting from there, we embark with them on an emotional rollercoaster-ride through the next ten years of their life, during which they contemplate divorce, extramarital affairs, their lack of joy from sex, and the imperfection of their love.

 “We should take a moment and think about all the things you give to us, as you have a very significant role in our lives. We are all proud of you. I would like to thank you for filling our days with such magic and joy.” – says Hubert, the owner of popular downtown spot, Kiosk. Of course, FUNZINE couldn’t agree more: along with Kiosk, we wish all of our female readers a very happy International Women’s Day! 

Victoria Sponge Cake

Among the many things that were named after Queen Victoria, one is this popular dessert. The perfect mixture of flour, sugar and eggs is a universal favourite of many around the globe. As the legend has it, the Queen was also a huge fan of the spongy dessert.

Tetrazzini

An American dish that is often mistakenly thought to be Italian as its name has something to do with Luisa Tetrazzini, the famous Italian opera soprano: it is said that the star was a long-time resident of the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, where the meal was supposedly created.

Bloody Mary

The ultimate solution of horrible headaches (due to hangover), the cocktail, made of tomato juice and vodka, has two stories with regard to its name: one says that it was inspired by Mary Pickford, while another theory suggests that the label relates to Queen Mary I of England, bearing the same nickname.

Marie Biscuit

You can find this common equipment of tea time around each household, though you might not know that it was actually named after Maria Alexandrovna, the Duchess of Edinburgh, the only surviving child of Tsar Alexander II of Russia.

Granny Smith

The juicy, delicious apple kind originates from Australia. It was planted and grown by Marie Ana Smith, or as she was often called Granny Smith. Her apples quickly became popular in the area as she was selling them at Sydney’s George Street market every week.

Margarita

There is a lot debate about who the popular combination of tequila, triple sec and lemon or lime was named after. One of the theories suggest that the drink was named after Rita Hayworth, whose real name was Margarita Cansino.

Pavlova

Magnificent Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova was the source of inspiration: this sweet, crispy dessert was meant to honour the extraordinarily talented beauty on one of her tours in Australia.

Peach Melba or Melba Toast

These delicacies were inspired by one of the most acclaimed opera singers of the late Victorian era, Dame Nellie Melba. Both of them were created by French chef Auguste Escoffier who became completely mesmerized by the artist during her stays at the Savoy Hotel, London.

Margherita Pizza

The famous pizza made with tomato base, mozzarella cheese and basil was named after Queen Margherita of Savoy. It is said that the idea of the popular topic came to life when Queen Margherita visited the Royal Palace of Capodimonte in Naples, Italy. The recipe was created to honour attendance.

The Szilágyi Erzsébet promenade in Buda, for example, bears the name of the militant mother of King Matthias of Hungary, famous amazon and widow of John Hunyadi, the triumphant hero of the Siege of Belgrade. After the loathsome execution of his older son, László, by King Ladislaus the Posthumous, Erzsébet swore revenge and through her motherly ways brought the entire kingdom onto the brink of a civil war. A couple of days after the king fled the country for Prague, Ladislaus died unexpectedly, and the young Matthias was crowned King of Hungary.

If someone’s popularity is measured by the variety of public venues that were named after them, then it’s safe to say that Szent Margit (Saint Margaret) of the House of Árpád is one of the city’s most revered women. Margaret Bridge, Margit utca, Margit körút and Margaret Island have all been named after the holy virgin daughter of King Béla IV and Maria Laskarina, and who, by the way, is the niece of another Hungarian saint, St. Elizabeth. Margit was born in Dalmatia during the Mongol invasion of Hungary, and was offered by his father to serve God in hopes that the Lord would save the kingdom. She had spent her life in a convent on Margaret Island (then named Island of the Rabbits), praying, working and helping the poor, while refusing to break her celibate vows for suitors. She died at 27 years of age, but her rose-scented body did not start to decompose until three weeks after her death.

In case you’re looking for the long-lost milieu of 19th century Budapest, take a trek through downtown’s Veres Pálné utca, a narrow street situated just a few corners from the FUNZINE headquarters. The comfy street is named after pedagogue Pálné Veres (née Hermin Beniczky), the pioneer of women’s education in Hungary, prominent feminist of her time (mind you, this was in the 1840s!), renowned promoter of women’s rights, and founder of the country’s first secondary school for women.