We celebrated the 60th anniversary of the revolution of 1956 with a grand celebration in Montréal. Organized by the Hungarian Committee of Montréal, members of the local Hungarian community gathered in the Mindszenty Hall of the Our Lady of Hungary Parish to commemorate the event. Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador to Canada also attended the meeting honouring the anniversary of the revolution with their presence.
The celebration started with a march of flag carrying scouts followed by father Szabolcs Licskó’s words that opened the ceremony. Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szíjjártó made a powerful speech where he underscored the importance of the 1956 Revolution for the entire nation. He reminded that Hungarians are strong freedom loving people who will always stand up against any form of oppression or attempt to take their liberty from them. He emphasized that Hungary will always protect its sovereignty. Szíjjártó’s visit was a significant gesture from the Hungarian government as he was the first politician delegated at this level to attend the celebration of the 1956 Revolution in Montréal.
The famous folkdance ensemble Csillagszemű performed a breathtaking show to delight of the audience where adults and small children were welcome to take part in the choreography. The show was followed by Ferenc Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 14 performed by Dékány Anna on the piano.
The program continued with the presentation of a short movie with interviews with Hungarian people in Montréal about their memories from the 1956 Revolution. The movie was a product of collaboration between the Csillagösvény Ensemble, Bethlen Gábor Fraternity Club, and Zsolt Kövessy. The movie made a deep impact on the audience.
In his closing speech, pastor Attila György put the 1956 Revolution in the context of present day and reminded the audience that Hungary, due to its geographical location, lies in the clashing zone between East and West, therefore, we should always be vigilant and protect the freedom we enjoy today. We sang the Hungarian, Szekler and Canadian anthem with András Tomecz in the lead accompanied by Dékány Anna on the piano. The scouts marched out.
The event was a great commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the 1956 Revolution. We would like to say thank you to all participants, guests for their contribution to the celebration with their presence and valuable work.
Dorka Kornélia Takácsy, KCSP program, Montreál