There were several dates in the calendar which demanded large-scale parades and celebrations; people were 'volunteered' by their work places to take part. Though the most spectacular events were in the capital, these were mirrored all over the country.
May 1st
May 1st was undoubtedly the most important celebration of the year, reflecting as it did, those held in Moscow and the other communist bloc countries.
In Budapest, people were bussed into the capital from all over; they began to gather at 6a.m. with their placards of Marx, Lenin, Engels and the Hungarian leader János Kádár. Every lamp-post along the route had been equipped with a speaker in the days before the parade, and as people swarmed along the avenue, past the tribune, the sound of communist workers' songs filled the air: May 1st was not celebrated with a military parade, it was a trades unions event, a celebration of workers and labour. After several hours of parading past the leaders on the tribune, the tens of thousands of people filled the city park where free beer and sausages were provided.
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April 4th
April 4th was the anniversary of the liberation of Hungary by Soviet troops in 1945. Like the celebration of May 1st, this was also marked with a parade on Dózsa György út up to Heroes' Square.
This parade was a military one, and the tribune always included representatives from the Soviet Union who came to inspect troops and military hardware. This day was not as much celebrated by the population at large as was May 1st, but being a national holiday, some onlookers generally went to watch the parade. In all parts of the country it was customary for official events to be held at factories and workplaces with speeches and recitations; outstanding workers would be given cash bonuses or medals. It was also customary for some local dignitary to officiate at the placing of a wreath at some sort of Soviet war memorial or grave where further speeches would be said to thank the liberators. |
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November 7th
November 7th was the date of the great Great October Socialist Revolution - in the old Julian calendar used in Russia, this date was October 6th. Although this day was a national holiday in Hungary, aside from in schools and universities, there were no special events to mark it. Posters were pasted up - as for every other socialist celebration - but there were no parades. Until 1989, today's Oktogon (at the crossroads of Andrassy út and the Körút) was called November 7th Square. |
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