Timeless Hungarian flag and coat of arms

Hungarian historical flag.

Symbols are very important for every country. They evoke togetherness and pride. Since 2015, Hungary has been celebrating Flag and Coat of Arms Day on her March 16th.

Hungarians are especially proud of their national symbol. Relics, St. Stephen’s crown, flags and coats of arms. Other symbols remained unchanged over the centuries, but the flag and coat of arms underwent constant changes until they reached their present form.

The fact that a flag means much more than a piece of cloth has already been explained by one of the great Hungarian poets, Dezső Kosztolányi.

On March 16, 1848, the current Hungarian flag became the official flag. On this day, all public institutions of the country were obliged to use the national flag and coat of arms on public holidays. For this reason, in 2014 the Hungarian parliament designated his 16th March as Flag and Coat of Arms Day, which was celebrated for the first time in 2015. The unity and national independence of the Hungarian nation and the coat of arms as defined in the Basic Law are part of the national cultural heritage and therefore the common responsibility of the institutions, organizations and citizens of the Hungarian nation. respect them.

After the suppression of the freedom struggle in 1849, the flag became a banned symbol as it symbolized the country’s independence.After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, it was again allowed to fly over public buildings. it was done.

In 1896, two forms of coat of arms were decided upon, the so-called middle state coat of arms and the small state coat of arms (no large state coat of arms was created). Both existed in two versions of him: using the angel as a shield holder or surrounded by olive and oak branches.

From the turn of the century to the 20th century, the coat of arms underwent many changes. There was the so-called Kossuth coat of arms (terminically a small coat of arms without a crown), followed by the hated communist coat of arms like that of the Rahkosi regime. The use of this coat of arms (strictly speaking, it is not a heraldry coat of arms as it is not in the form of a shield) has led to one of Hungary’s most powerful symbols. middle. During the 1956 Freedom Struggle, the symbol of oppression of communism with a red five-pointed star was cut from the flag.

Following this, from 1957 to 1990 the communist coat of arms underwent some changes, with the crowned small country coat of arms becoming the official coat of arms of the Republic of Hungary.

The Hungarian coat of arms is therefore a pointed divided shield, the first area of ​​which is cut seven times in red and silver, the second green triple mound, the central red area with a double cross of silver There is a golden crown. The shield has the Hungarian Holy Crown.
The official flag is a red-white-green flag divided into three stripes of equal width.

However, on national holidays, some of Hungary’s most important historical flags are always draped alongside the current flag.

There are currently three versions of the coat of arms in use, and not everyone can use each version.

Only the President of the Republic is entitled to use the Angelic Crest as a shield holder. A coat of arms surrounded by olive and oak branches can be used by the Prime Minister and the Speaker of Parliament. Her third, simpler form of coat of arms may be used by broader classes, such as self-governing bodies, representatives of government, the judiciary, and even national banks.

Hungary’s national anthem, flag and coat of arms are protected by criminal law. In other words, the Penal Code criminalizes infringement or intentional damage to the coat of arms. Those who violate or damage them can even be imprisoned.

Featured photo: Facebook Történelmi zászlók