Happy Holiday Hungary! Today is Revolution Day. Every year on 15th March, Hungarians commemorate the beginning of the revolution against the Habsburg regime. Here are some ideas about Hungary’s National Holiday and about the events taking place in Budapest.
Brief historical background
The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of the many European Revolutions of 1848 and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas. The revolution in the Kingdom of Hungary grew into a war for independence from the Austrian Empire, ruled by the Habsburg dynasty.
After a series of serious Austrian defeats in 1849, the Austrian State came close to the brink of collapse, thus the new young emperor Franz Joseph I. had to call for Russian help in the name of the Holy Alliance. Tsar Nicholas I answered, and sent a 200,000 strong army with 80,000 auxiliary forces. Finally, the joint army of Russian and Austrian forces defeated the Hungarian forces. After the restoration of Habsburg power, Hungary was placed under brutal martial law.
Programmes in Budapest in 2019
- 9:00: Raising of the Hungarian national flag with military honours on Kossuth tér
- 9:30 the Hungarian National Ceremonial Hussar Squadron will march to Múzeum kert (route: Kossuth tér-Alkotmány utca-Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út- Erzsébet tér Károly körút – Múzeum körút)
- 10:30: Ceremony in the garden of the Hungarian National Museum
Speeches given by: Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary and Mateusz Morawiecki, Prime Minister of Poland - The March 15th Fair in the Buda Castle has a history stretching back for over a decade, but more and more exciting exhibitors join the event every year. Hungarian produce and ingredients will take centre stage at the bustling Buda Castle Fair. Farmers, food producers and catering providers come together to present the best Hungarian tastes to a wide and receptive audience.