On 15 March, Hungarians all over the world commemorate the 1848–49 Revolution and War of Independence. The Várkert Bazaar (Várkert Bazár), the Csikós Courtyard, and the Riding Hall in Buda will all host programmes tomorrow that offer all-day entertainment for visitors of all ages. Free family events, including exhibitions, screenings, museum education sessions, and interactive games, will be waiting for visitors in the Palotanegyed district of Buda Castle as well. According to a statement sent to MTI by the organisers, outdoor exhibitions, cartoon screenings, crafts workshops, interactive children’s games, weapon demonstrations, horse-riding hussars, and the hussar band’s wind players will welcome families to the national holiday at several locations in the renewed Buda Castle.
Free Family Programmes In the Buda Castle
The statement points out that the programmes at Várkert Bazár are organised around the spirit of the Petőfi 200 Memorial Year, centred around Sándor Petőfi’s János vitéz (John the Valiant). An outdoor exhibition consisting of selected visual works by the students of the Secondary School of Visual Arts (Kisképző) of Budapest will depict excerpts from the narrative poem János vitéz, from the perspective of today’s young people. In addition, there will also be a museum education session taking place associated with the exhibition, where children aged 9–12 can experience the translation of poetry’s fantasy world into pictures and learn about various collage, drawing, and painting techniques.
For those who yearn for even more adventures with János vitéz, there will be the opportunity to watch Marcell Jankovics‘s classic animated film rendition of the story. As emphasised, the adventurous fairy tale is not only an essential piece of children’s cinema, but also a masterpiece of visual art, as its imagery is a unique combination of secession, pop art, and Hungarian folk decorative art.
The newly restored building of the Riding Hall in the Buda Castle will be offering space for handcraft workshops where festive cockades, stick horses, or hussar finger puppets can be made. In addition, a recruiting bell play will introduce children to the hussars’ bell signals, and well-known hussar songs will be played with the help of small bells. In the hussar chase, participants have to complete an obstacle course on a hobby horse. Meanwhile in the Csikós Courtyard, families will have the chance to enjoy a weapon demonstration and explore the military traditions of the past.
In the Buda Castle, visitors can also get to know the events and historical figures related to the 1848–49 Revolution and War of Independence through live historical improvisational performances,
where audience suggestions also contribute to the creation of a scene. In the performance of the wind band of hussars, visitors can listen to marching music and admire the horseback hussars patrolling the Buda Palace District. Family events are free, but advance registration is required for several programmes. The detailed schedule is available on the Várkert Bazár website.
Other Programmes Across the Country
As part of the national celebrations, the Kossuth and Széchenyi awards will be presented today, 14 March. On 15 March, at 9 a.m., the flag of Hungary will be raised in a celebratory setting. Following the flag-raising, hussars will march to the Hungarian National Museum. Then celebratory events will be held in the Museum Garden, where Minister of Culture and Innovation János Csák will give a speech. From 10’o clock, the Hungarian Parliament will be open to the public, where a guided tour will be taking place for those wanting to see the Holy Crown of Saint Stephen. In the afternoon, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will be holding a speech at the birthplace of Sándor Petőfi.
The detailed programme of the national holiday celebrations can be found on the government’s website.
