This year on December 1, Romania will celebrate 97 years since the Great Union which happened on December 1, 1918.

Military parades, concerts, and other events will be organized in major cities for Romania's National Day, with the most important events being scheduled to take place in the capital Bucharest and Alba Iulia, the city where the Great Union was signed.

Bucharest

A large military parade will be organized in Constitutiei Square, which will feature more than 2,500 troops with over 360 vehicles belonging to the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Interior, the Romanian Intelligence Service, the Protection and Guard Service, the Special Telecommunications Service, the National Penitentiary Administration, and the Bucharest Local Police. Troops from Bulgaria, Poland, the Republic of Moldova, the US, and Turkey, will join the parade which will start at 11:00.

The Prut Integration and Development Center, with the support of the Romanian Peasant Museum, will organize the Film #din Basarabia event on November 29 and December 1. The event will be part of the #din Basarabia (from Bessarabia) Fair organized in Bucharest on the National Day of Romania. More information here.

The Royal Train will also make a special trip on December 1, between Turnu Severin and Bucharest. 

The Victoriei Palace, which hosts the headquarters of the Romanian Government, will be open for public on December 1, between 11:00 and 16:00. The visitors will be allowed into the Muntenia hall, which hosts the Government's weekly meetings, as well as the other halls that host various official events. Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos will be there to greet the visitors, after the military parade in the Constitutiei Square will have ended.

However, the traditional reception at Cotroceni Palace will not be organized this year, following a decision of President Klaus Iohannis. The decision was taken after the tragedy in Colectiv club.

Alba Iulia

The Alba Iulia City Hall has prepared a special program for this year’s National Day – the Festival of Romania. The festival will take place between November 29 and December 1, and will include military ceremonies and parades, concerts, and fairs. As a sign of solidarity with the victims of the tragic event at Colectiv club in Bucharest, the local authorities didn’t include fireworks in their program, but they will have a laser show. The entire program of the festival can be found here.

Iasi

This city’s special program for December 1 includes an exhibition of military equipment, music concerts, traditional food, a withdrawal with torches, and hoisting a giant Romania's flag. The events start at 09:30, and will also include a concert of British artist James Arthur. Find the entire program here.

Timisoara

The National Day will also be celebrated in this city in western Romania with dance and music shows, and fireworks. Moreover, the local authorities will also light up the Christmas lights on this day and will officially open the Christmas Fair. However, there will be no National Day military parade this year.

Cluj-Napoca

The Cluj-Napoca City Hall will organize several events on this day. Starting 16:00, the city residents and the tourists can enjoy a folk show in Unirii Square while at 19:00 the authorities will light up the Christmas lights. There will also be a music concert held by Zdob si Zdub and Cargo. The ice skating rink in Unirii Square will also be opened on December 1. However, as a sign of respect and compassion for the victims of the nightclub fire in Bucharest, the City Hall decided to cancel the fireworks show and the traditional withdrawal with torches.

The Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) will also organize a series of events in its branches in Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Chisinau, Istanbul, Lisbon, Madrid, New York, Paris, Prague, Stockholm, Tel Aviv, Warsaw, and Venice. More information here.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Ministerul Apararii Nationale on Facebook; Photo by: Anca Ciornei)