May Day

May Day in Hungary is similar to US labor day. It was declared this in 1958 by the Soviet Union and the Hungarians chose to keep it as a holiday. The celebrations here in Hungary were very fun. During the day there was a festival at Hosok Ter, Hero Square. Each hour there was a new musical dance style presented, then taught to the audience (great fun). Then in between the presentations, there was a group of traditionally dressed people, a man on stilts and musicians playing. They would parade out to the music and tie ribbons to birch trees, the audience helping in this, and then erect them around the square. I especially enjoyed dancing and watching the "rock and roll" dancers. I worked my way into the crowd the 2nd time, and tied a ribbon onto a tree myself. At the end of the night there were fire works and they played Beethoven's "Ode to Joy".