Great Union Day

Great Union Day, also called Unification Day or National Day, is a Romanian national holiday celebrated on 1 December. It marks the Great Union in 1918 when Transylvania, Bassarabia, and Bukovina joined the Romanian Kingdom. This important day was declared after the Romanian revolution and remembers the Great National Assembly in Alba Iulia, where delegates from ethnic Romanians declared the Union of Transylvania with Romania.

Before 1947, the holiday was celebrated on 10 May. This date was special because it was when King Carol I first arrived in Romania in 1866 and later ratified Romania's Declaration of Independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1877. During the communist time from 1948 to 1989, the holiday was observed on 23 August to remember the 1944 overthrow of Ion Antonescu's government by King Michael I. Parades were held in Charles de Gaulle Square, which was once called Stalin Square and later Aviators' Square. In 1990, the holiday was moved to 1 December to honor the date of the Great Union.

History

Main article: Great Union

Background

Main article: Unification of Moldavia and Wallachia

Romanian postcard issued c. 1918–1919. Note the unusual shape of Romania's western borders as pictured on the map (the country is supposed to include all of Maramureș, a bigger part of Crișana, and possibly the entire Banat – pictured in white); the definitive borders would not be drawn until 1920.

Modern Romania began after the unification of Moldavia and Wallachia by prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza on 24 January 1859. This event, sometimes called the Little Union, is now celebrated as the Day of the Unification of the Romanian Principalities.

Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia

Main article: Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia

Romanian troops marching in Transylvania (here Piața Unirii, Cluj)

On 1 December 1918, the Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia, made up of 1,228 elected representatives of Romanians in Transylvania, Banat, Crișana, and Maramureș, met in Alba Iulia. They voted unanimously to unite these areas with Romania.

The next day, a new government was formed. On 11 December 1918, King Ferdinand I signed a law making this union official forever.

The Resolution of the Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia

Declaration of the holiday

Resolution 903 of the Council of Ministers on 18 August 1948 had marked 23 August as the national holiday. Law 10/1990, declared on 1 August 1990, moved the national holiday to 1 December. This change was made by a parliament led by the National Salvation Front and approved by the president Ion Iliescu. The choice of 1 December remembered the unification of Transylvania, Banat, Crișana, and Maramureș with Romania in 1918.

First celebration

The first celebration of this holiday took place in Alba Iulia, where the union was proclaimed. The event was very political, with some leaders being interrupted during their speeches.

National Military Parade

A Counter-Terrorism Battalion of the Romanian Intelligence Service on parade in 2008.

Every year, a big military parade is held to celebrate this special day. It is called the National Military Parade (Romanian: Parada Militară Națională) and takes place in Bucharest at either Piața Constituției or near the Arcul de Triumf on Șoseaua Kiseleff. There are also parades in Alba Iulia and other big cities.

The President of Romania attends the parade in Bucharest. After arriving, the president meets with leaders of the Romanian Armed Forces and then watches as soldiers march by. Music plays as the soldiers and vehicles pass, including tanks and emergency vehicles. Sometimes, soldiers dressed in old uniforms from the First World War also march. The parade ends with more music and soldiers.