National day of mourning: Hungary honors the martyrs of Arad – national flag at half-mast

Hungary commemorated its national day of mourning by raising and then lowering the national flag to half-mast in front of the Parliament. The day marks the anniversary of the execution of the 13 martyrs of Arad and the death of Hungary’s first responsible Prime Minister.

In a solemn ceremony held on Sunday morning in Kossuth Lajos Square, outside the Parliament, the flag was raised and lowered to half-mast in remembrance of the martyrs of Arad, with full military honours. The event was attended by several government officials, including Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky and Chief of General Staff Gábor Böröndi. As a mark of respect, Hungary’s national flag will remain at half-mast throughout the day of national mourning, Világgazdaság reports.

The flag-raising was accompanied by the Hungarian national anthem, while the lowering to half-mast was performed to the sound of the “Szózat“.

Hungary remembers the martyrs of Arad

In 2001, the Hungarian government declared 6 October a national day of mourning, a day to remember the 13 martyrs executed in Arad after the defeat of the 1848-49 Revolution and War of Independence, as well as Lajos Batthyány, Hungary’s first independent and responsible Prime Minister, who was executed in Pest on the same day.