Preparations for National Day celebrations
The Romanian military made the final rehearsals for the National Day parade on the 1st of December.
Leyla Cheamil, 28.11.2016, 14:26
The date of 1st of December 1918 remains a symbol for the union of all Romanians. Declared an official holiday after the anti-communist revolution of 1989, 1st of December marks the completion, at the end of World War I, of the creation of the Romanian nation state following the union of all provinces with majority Romanian populations, that had been part of multinational empires, under Bucharest’s authority. The National Day will be celebrated across the country and abroad, including in theatres of operation, with parades, religious ceremonies, exhibitions of combat military technology and weapons and cultural events.
On Sunday, more than 3,000 military and experts from the defence and interior ministries and the Romanian Intelligence Service made the final rehearsals for the National Day parade in Bucharest. The parade route will again pass underneath the Arch of Triumph after being hosted by the Constitution Square for the last two years as the Arch was undergoing restoration works. The public will be able to see the new uniforms worn by the Romanian military in theatres of war and the military equipment used by the Romanian Army.
General Adrian Tonea, Chief of Staff Deputy, explains: “This year’s national military parade is very special because it continues the events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the First World War. The highlight of the parade is the presentation of the F16 multirole aircraft and the new combat uniforms of the Romanian Army.”
The Romanian military will be joined by their counterparts from other allied and partner states such as the UK, Italy, Germany, the Republic of Moldova, Poland, Slovakia, Spain and the US. The list of cultural events dedicated to the National Day celebrations include a host of traditional music concerts and performances organised by the Eudoxiu Hurmuzachi Institute for Romanians Abroad and the Romanian Cultural Institute between the 27th of November and 4th of December for the large Romanian communities in Spain and Italy. Similar events are held in Israel, in Kiryat Haim and Tel Aviv.
In Vienna, Romania’s National Day was already celebrated on Sunday in an extraordinary concert given by the musician and conductor Nicolae Voiculet together with organist Klaus Dieter and the Romania Orchestra. Forming part of a tour called Romania 100 — D.O.R., this music project is intended to promote Romanian identity and rediscover the national heritage. The tour began this year in Romania, the Czech Republic and Slovakia and will continue until December 2018, when the central city of Alba Iulia will host a special concert to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Great Union.
