How do Hungarians celebrate national holidays?
On national holidays most people don’t have to go to work or school. Houses and public buildings are decorated with national flags, and many people wear a cockade – a small red, white and green rosette – especially on 15th March. There are official ceremonies, speeches and wreath-laying ceremonies at monuments and memorials. On 20th August there is a big fireworks display over the Danube in Budapest. Schools hold commemorations on the day before the holiday, where students recite poems, sing songs and perform short plays. Many families simply use the long weekend to relax or travel.
Our three national holidays / Három nemzeti ünnepünk
| Date | English | Magyarul | What we remember |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15th March | Revolution of 1848 | Az 1848–49-es forradalom és szabadságharc ünnepe | The revolution and war of independence against Habsburg rule |
| 20th August | St Stephen’s Day / the Foundation of the State | Az államalapítás ünnepe, Szent István napja | The founding of the Hungarian state by our first king |
| 23rd October | Revolution of 1956 / Republic Day | Az 1956-os forradalom ünnepe | The uprising against the communist regime and the proclamation of the Republic in 1989 |
| to decorate | feldíszíteni |
| flag | zászló |
| cockade / rosette | kokárda |
| ceremony | ünnepség |
| monument / memorial | emlékmű |
| fireworks display | tűzijáték |
| commemoration | megemlékezés, ünnepi műsor |
| to recite a poem | verset szavalni |
| long weekend | hosszú hétvége |
