March 15 – National flag hoisted by Hungarian Parliament – PHOTOS
The national flag was hoisted with military honours in front of Parliament on Monday morning, marking the anniversary of Hungary’s anti-Habsburg revolution that started on March 15, 1848.
The single central event of this year’s March 15 national holiday was followed by only a few people in Kossuth Square, where President János Áder is scheduled to deliver a speech.
Like last year, all other state commemorations have been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Though the Kossuth and Széchenyi Awards will also be handed out at a later date, the names of the recipients will be released today.
The revolution and freedom fight was part of a series of uprisings in Europe in 1848.
On March 15, citizens of Pest gathered in front of the National Museum and demanded independence from Habsburg rule.
Hungary’s first independent government with Count Lajos Batthyány as prime minister approved a reform package called the April laws. Later, the uprising grew into a war of independence, stifled by Austria and Russia in late 1849.
Read also:
- Why do Hungarians celebrate March 15 so vehemently?
- 5 interesting facts about the Hungarian National Day, March 15
Source: MTI