Hungarian Conservative

The cockade is one of the best-known and most significant Hungarian symbols, which has played a decisive role in our history. Over the centuries, the cockade has become an emblem of patriotism and Hungarian identity, which we have proudly worn on all our national holidays ever since the Hungarian Revolution of 1848.

‘Today, our generation has the opportunity to build our own army, the force that guarantees the armed defence of the nation. This is our task, and in that we are no different from the revolutionaries of 1848,’ Minister Szalay-Bobrovniczky said at the Defence Ministry’s commemoration of the 1848 Hungarian revolution.

Hungarian Ambassador to the US Szabolcs Takács and US Representative Carol Miller of West Virginia spoke at the event commemorating the 1848–1849 Hungarian Revolution and Freedom Fight at Lajos Kossuth’s bust in the US Capitol building.

The new national stadium opened its door exactly four years ago today—its inaugural game was an international football friendly between Hungary and Uruguay. Since then, it has seen many great clashes and has routinely been filled to the brim with fans in the past few years.

‘We are very lucky to have a building, a home, which belongs to every Hungarian person and organization. I started to encourage the small communities to participate in our events or use the building for theirs. We aim to become a community centre, a hub for all Hungarians and friends of Hungary.’

Our nation marked the 1023rd anniversary of the foundation of its state. Celebratory events were held all across the country, from Esztergom to Debrecen, with the greatest festivities taking place in the capital city of Budapest. There, the holiday crowd was treated to an Air Show by the pilots of the Hungarian Air Force and Europe’s largest fireworks and lights show, among other things.

During a ceremony held in commemoration of the foundation of the state where high state awards were conferred, Chief of the Prime Minister’s Office Gergely Gulyás stated that as Hungary is celebrating the 1023rd birthday of its nationhood, the nation must take stock of its history. He also added that the anniversary of the foundation of the Hungarian state is an apt occasion to express gratitude to those who, with years of effort, have served their communities, big or small, through exceptional achievements.

As customary, this year, too, all major party leaders in Hungary delivered remarks. The messages of the various politicians on the lessons for today of Hungary’s revolutionary and heroic past could not have been more diverse.

The Prime Minister reminded that when asked what gives higher meaning to finite life and to the homeland, Petőfi provided the answer: ‘Stand up, Hungarian! Shall we be slaves or free? Long live the free and independent Hungary!’

As part of the 15 March celebrations in Hungary, many venues will offer an abundance of programmes free of charge for their visitors.

This year, 15 March falls on a Wednesday, and programmes have been put together accordingly. On 14 March, the Kossuth and Széchenyi Awards will be presented. On the day of the celebration the next day, the national flag will be raised in the morning as usual.