Day of the 1848 Revolution

On 15 March 1848 the young poet Sándor Petőfi and his friends called the people of Pest to freedom. Petőfi's National Song, opening with "Rise up, Hungarians!", and the 12 Points of demands were printed without censorship, and thousands gathered in front of the National Museum.

The revolution grew into the War of Independence of 1848–1849. After its defeat Lajos Kossuth, Józef Bem and thousands of Hungarian refugees found shelter in the Ottoman Empire, which refused to hand them over. Kossuth's house in Kütahya is today a museum and a symbol of Hungarian-Turkish friendship.

National holiday

15 March is one of Hungary's three national holidays. Ceremonies are held on the steps of the National Museum and at the Petőfi statue in Budapest, and people wear red-white-green cockades.