Hoisting of the flag and ceremony outside the National Museum

Time: 10.30 a.m. – 12.00 p.m. 15 March 2013
Venue: Budapest, Múzeum körút, Hungarian National Museum

The National Museum has for many years been the traditional venue of the programmes of the national holiday of 15 March. According to contemporary chronicles, the Museum Garden was an important site of the 1848 revolutionary events: it was on this day 165 years ago that Sándor Petőfi, poet and revolutionary of the freedom fight inspirited the gathered crowd by reciting his poem National Song on the steps of the National Museum. The event in the Museum Garden was soon followed by actions taken in a revolutionary spirit: capture of Landerer’s printing press and printing of the 12 demands of the nation, liberation of Táncsics from captivity, premiere of the opera Bánk bán at the National Theatre and the symbolic deeds of the fight fought for the nation’s independence which carved this date into the history of the nation eternally.

The surroundings of the National Museum will await visitors from before 11.00 a.m.; those coming to attend the ceremony organised to commemorate the 1848/49 Revolution and Freedom Fight will be welcomed by live music supplied by the Finance Guards Orchestra from 10.30 a.m. The ceremony will commence at 11.00 a.m. with the hoisting of the national flag to the accompaniment of military honours. The event will be attended by the Vitéz Szurmay Sándor Budapest Garrison Troops of the Hungarian Defence Forces, the National Cavalry Guard of Honour and the Central Military Orchestra. The flag hoisting ceremony will begin with the entry of the historical flags, and the national flag of Hungary will be hoisted to the tune of the National Anthem.

After the performance of the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble, a speech will be delivered by President of Hungary János Áder and Mayor of Budapest István Tarlós. This will be followed by the musical version of Sándor Petőfi’s National Song performed by the original composer of the piece, László Tolcsvay.

The ceremony will be narrated by actor Aladár Laklóth. The event will be broadcast live by the public service media.

After the programmes in the Museum Garden, a ceremonial march led by the Finance Guards Orchestra, the National Cavalry Guard of Honour and the Central Military Orchestra will head for the Buda Castle, the venue of the day’s family programmes.