Berkley Center

Not so long ago, Hungary celebrated two (very different) celebrations: March 8 and March 15. Neither of these dates hold particular significance in the United States, but here, even in freezing temperatures and snow, Hungarians paraded about the streets of Budapest either to share flowers with their loved ones or simply demonstrate their (dis)satisfaction with the current Hungarian government. As I said, these two holidays are quite different ideologically speaking, but the way they are celebrated is uniquely Hungarian.

To most citizens of the United States, the Eighth of March is unknown; however, to many countries of the world, especially those who used to be under Soviet influence, this date is something special: International Woman’s Day. Historically speaking, this makes sense. Originally a socialist political event, this holiday has mutated beyond its original designation. This day was designed to honor and celebrate female economic, political, scientific, and cultural achievements. Of course in many countries, it has lost its political flavor and has turned into some kind of combination of Mother’s and Valentine’s Days, with one major exception. Whereas Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day in the United States may be two of the so-called “Hallmark Holidays” and are associated with commercialism and candy, March 8 is visibly a deeper, less commercialized annual celebration. In fact, a decent definition of March 8 would be that it is a kind of non-commercialized Valentine’s Day that includes not only wives and girlfriends but also mothers, teachers, coworkers, friends, sisters, and all the women in a person’s life.

Maybe it is purely my cynical attitude towards Valentine’s Day, but I tend to see the holiday as a mad rush to prove love openly as opposed to demonstrate it in a personal manner. Perhaps I am wrong, but Valentine’s is not half as personal (or as political) as the Eighth of March. Then again, this makes sense considering that the holiday was established not in the capitalistic framework, but the socialist one, and is therefore so far immune to the pink, beribboned, frilly excess of Valentine’s Day in the United States.

In America, the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day are filled with commercials for chocolate hearts, greeting cards, and stuffed animals that sing and dance to love songs. Lovey-dovey advertisements full of happy snugly couples call people to their local Walgreen’s to buy giant teddy bears and boxes of nasty tasting candy hearts. Here, I would never have even known that a holiday was coming. Except for the explosion of brightly colored flower stands, it could have been a normal day. Everywhere there were flowers either being sold from a myriad of stores that simply sprung up over night or simply given by random passers-by to anyone they came across. As the only female in my office that day, my boss gave me flowers. There was nothing romantic or awkward in that gesture as it probably would have been in the United States. Of course, the holiday can be romantic, but it does not have to be. As I walked to streets it was hard to avoid the couples giggling and hugging and kissing. Adorable elderly couples occupied all the benches in the park simply holding hands, rubbing noses, or playing with their dogs. The whole thing made Valentine’s Day seem to be a parody of real emotion.

With its socialist roots, this holiday was more than just flowers and happy couples. I saw something that I would never, ever associate with Valentine’s Day: a women’s rights march. It was not gigantic (compared to the later demonstrations on March 15 it was tiny), but it was there. A group of women and men marched through some of the streets waving banners. It was certainly a serious occasion, but this day, being about love and respect for women, was happy and joyous. No people chaining themselves to doors or throwing things as in women’s rights demonstrations that I have witnessed elsewhere.

In a country that is so often criticized for its government’s handling of the constitution and having protests almost weekly with regards to taxes or university education reform, it is nice to know that in Hungary the people are also able to step away from their troubles and celebrate a holiday dedicated to the love of family and friends, regardless of its historical connotations.

Which brings me to the second holiday: March 15.

March 15 celebrates the date in 1848 that Hungary revolted against Habsburg occupation. The revolution eventually transformed into a glorious war for independence led by the fearless reform leader Lajos Kossuth. Whereas the revolution was a success and a reason to celebrate (and even get a day off) in Hungary, the war for independence was not so successful.

I know that it is bad for a person to consider counterfactual history, but it is hard not to here in Hungary. The nation as a whole possesses a deep nostalgia for better days, whether those days were under communism or in the 1800s. If Hungary had won their independence, it would have been possible that World War I would never have happened. In talking to Hungarians, young and old, they all make a similar argument. If Hungary had beat the Habsburgs, which they almost did had not the Russians entered the fight, the Habsburgs would have been too weak to pull Germany and the rest of the world into a war. Hungary lost a lot in that war, and it is still a fresh wound for many. They lost about two-thirds of their territory in the Treaty of Trianon that ended World War I. As my history professor stated, "Hungary is the only country completely surrounded by Hungarians." Even today, thousands of Hungarians live in Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Austria, and Slovenia: the historical territories of Hungary.

March 15 usually consists of a number of cultural and political events. This year, many of the cultural events, such as traditional dances and food stalls, were cancelled due to truly gross weather; however, the political aspect continued with fervor. Even though the annual speech by President Orban (he was called to Brussels to defend his recent controversial amendments to the Constitution in front of the European Union) was also cancelled, supporters and opposers of the current administration streamed through the snowy streets to share their political opinions.

I had the great honor of being in Debrecen, where Kossuth declared Hungarian independence on this special day, and even though it snowed two feet, people were everywhere laying wreaths at the feet of the statues of Kossuth and General Bem, a Polish supporter of Hungarian independence who almost cinched a Hungarian victory before being forced to surrender to the Russians. Everyone wore red, green, and white rosettes. It was a beautiful and genuine Hungarian patriotic moment. Even anti-government demonstrators donned the rosettes.

To many Americans perhaps, this holiday is similar to July 4, but I have never seen anything quite like this on US soil. Regardless of the international sentiment that Hungary is turning into a radical dictatorship, the peaceful marches, flags waving, and chants showed me otherwise: it was democracy in action.