Bill to make Good Friday public holiday submitted to parliament

Budapest (MTI) – Ruling party lawmakers on Friday submitted a bill to parliament to make Good Friday a public holiday in Hungary.

Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén of the co-ruling Christian Democrats, Human Resources Minister Zoltán Balog and Economy Minister Mihály Varga, both of ruling Fidesz, filed a proposal to amend five laws and add Good Friday to the list of no-work days.

After the law enters force, Hungary will have the following work-free days: January 1, March 15, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May 1, Whit Monday, August 20, October 23, November 1 and December 25-26.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced at the 1956 memorial meeting of the synod of Hungarian Reformed Churches on October 14 that Good Friday is to be declared a public holiday in Hungary. Orbán said next year’s 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation in Europe would be the right time to help believers celebrate Good Friday by declaring it a work-free day.

Source: MTI