Great Union Day (Romanian: Ziua Marii Uniri), is also known as Unification Day and National Day in Romania. It is celebrated on December 1 commemorating the unification of Bessarabia, Transylvania and Bukovina with the Kingdom of Romania in 1918, making it known as the Great Union. It is a public holiday in Romania and the holiday was introduced after the Romanian Revolution, and to commemorate the gathering of ethnic Romanians held in Alba Iulia, who announced the Union of Transylvania with Romania.
Great Union Day (Romania National Day) 2023 Date
Great Union Day or Romania’s National Day (Ziua națională a României), is a public holiday that falls on December 1 each year to celebrate the unity of Romania's three great provinces (Bessarabia, Transylvania and Bukovina). As the day is a public holiday and therefore, offices, schools, colleges and most businesses are closed to celebrate the day. This year in 2023 the day will be celebrated on Thursday, December 1.
History of Great Union Day
The full independence of Romania had been recognized in 1878 but not until 1 December 1918 in Alba Iulia when Romania, made up of Moldavia and Wallachia, was united with Crisana, Banat, Transylvania, and Maramures. According to records, documents confirming the union of these regions were signed in Alba Iulia, and the declaration was read aloud in 1918 to many Romanians.
The country’s independence date has been changed several times in the past. At first, it was set on March 10, marking King Carol I’s ratification of the Declaration of Independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1877; then it shifted on August 23, beginning in 1948 with the 1944 overthrow of the country's pro-Nazi government. And finally, the Independence Day of Romania has been celebrated on 1 December since 1990.
National Day of Romania is better known as the Great Union, people abroad celebrate the annual military parade on this day, mostly crowded, and is enjoyed by Romanians and foreigners around the world.
Romania National Day Celebrations
The major celebrations that take place on this day include - Military parades (especially in Alba Iulia and Bucharest) and fireworks. Romania celebrates its National Day, which is also called the 1918 Great Unification Day or Union Day, with military parades and speeches by national leaders in the cities of Bucharest and Alba Iulia.
Public Life
Since National Day is a public holiday in Romania, banks, public offices, educational institutions, and many private businesses are closed. Persons wishing to travel by public transport on public holidays must contact the public transit authorities regarding schedule changes. Parts of Bucharest and possibly other major cities may be closed for military parades at certain times of the day.
How to Celebrate Great Union Day?
There are ways to celebrate the national day of Romania. Below we discussed 5 best ways to celebrate Great Union Day –
1. Go to the Military Parade
Attend the grand military parade in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, to celebrate the holiday. Thousands of soldiers and performing arts workers dazzle viewers with spectacular performances there to be witnessed.
2. Learn the Background
Read the history of Romania and its National Day through some history books or watch documentary films regarding this.
3. Share the Day on Social Media
Raise awareness about the day and let the world know about Romania's significance on the internet by uploading photos of your celebration or any event using hashtags like
#GreatUnionDay,
#RomaniaUnification,
#ZiuanaționalăaRomâniei
#ZiuaMariiUniri,
#MareaUnire, or
#RomanianNationalDay.
4. Enjoy the Holiday
As it’s a national holiday, almost all the people of Romania get a day off, except for certain areas of shops and restaurants as they are always bound to open. So enjoy the day at its best.
5. Get Your Family and Friends Together
Make it a reunion of family and friends celebration, and if you belong to Romanian roots go shopping, spend time with your family, or meet your loved ones for dinner. You can also arrange a feast made of traditional Romanian dishes like ‘ciorba de burta’, ‘sarmale’,‘pomana ‘mici’, and porcului’ to celebrate the day.
Significance and Importance of Great Union Day
Romanians celebrate the 1st of December because Romania’s National Day has two significant incidents. First, the day commemorates the unification of the ancient places of Bessarabia, Bukovina, and Transylvania with the Kingdom of Romania which formed present-day Romania and secondly, as the country’s Independence Day.
Flag of Romania
The national flag of Romania (Romanian: drapelul României) consists of a vertical tricolour of blue, yellow, and red. The Constitution of Romania states, "The national flag of Romania consists of three colours and the colours are arranged vertically in the following order: blue, yellow, red on the flagpole" The flag has a 2:3 width-to-length ratio.
It was first adopted in 1834, and after several changes in the year 1848 and 1866, the current flag was adopted on 27 December 1989. In 1984, the official proportions, shades of tricolour and flag protocol were established by law and extended in 2001.
Symbols of Romania
Romania has many national symbols representing Romania or its country, in official or unofficial capacities. Some of them describe below –
National flag: Described above
National coat of arms: The Coat of arms of Romania
The golden Aquila with the Orthodox cross in its sharp beak symbolises Latinity while the heraldic bird symbolises the courage of the first order. The shield where it is established is sky blue, representing the sky. The eagle holds in its talon (foot) the symbols of sovereignty: a mace and a sword, the latter reminiscent of the ruler of Moldavia, Stephen the Great and the mace reminiscent of Miguel Valor, the first unifier of the Romanian Principals. On the chest of the eagle is an escutcheon with symbols of historic and Romanian regions (Wallachia, Oltenia, Transylvania, Moldavia, Banat and Dobruja).
National anthem: Awaken thee, Romanian!
National animals of Romania: Brown bear, Aurochs (in Moldavia), Dacian Draco (national mythical animal).
National tree: "Oak" is the national tree of Romania
National Bird of Romania: Great white pelican
National flower of Romania: The peony flower
National fruit of Romania: Sovari Nobil (apple)
National Anthem of Romania
Deșteaptă-te, române! (English: Awaken thee, Romanian!) is the national anthem of Romania. The lyrics were composed by Andrei Mureșanu and written and published during the 1848 revolution first sung in late June of the same year in Brașov, immediately adopted as the revolutionary anthem. Since then, it became a symbol with its message of freedom and patriotism and has been sung in all major Romanian conflicts, including the 1989 anti-Ceauşist revolution. In 1990 it was adopted officially as the national anthem, replacing the communist-era national anthem "Trei colori" (“Three Colors").
National Motto of Romania
Currently, Romania does not have an official motto. But previously "Nothing without God" (Latin: Nihil sine Deo), is destined to return. Before Nihil sine Deo, Toți în unu (“All is One”) was briefly adopted as Romania’s motto.
Romania National Day 2023: Wishes, Messages, Greetings
National Day has been celebrated in Romania since 1990, following the collapse of the Romanian Communist Party. Share your thoughts with your loved ones with these Great Unity Day wishes, messages and greetings -
- Wishing the people of Romania a very happy national day, and a peaceful and prosperous year ahead. Happy Great Union Day!
- Celebrating December 1 as National Day every year, it’s an opportunity to be proud of our past and confident in our future.
- We, Romanians, must fulfil all our responsibilities to ensure the safety and prosperity of our country. Happy Romania's National Day!
Romanian National Day 2023: Status, Quotes
As the day marks the great Union of Romania's three ancient and historical provinces, so share your thoughts on social media with these Great Union Day WhatsApp, and Facebook statuses:
- Today as we enjoy the unification of the whole of Romania, let's recall the rights granted to us as citizens. Happy Romanian National Day!
- Consider what we can do to help our community become a safer, more peaceful and happier place to live. Happy Great Union Day!
- Our national heroes gave up everything to give us an independent country and united country and we have to work hard to leave behind a generation that will always be proud of this country. Happy Great Unification Day!
Great Union Day 2023 SMS
Romania’s National Day is in December to mark the country’s unification in 1918. So text your friends and family with these Great Union Day short messages (SMS) to share love and respect towards your motherland –
- Let's honour the Romanian people by celebrating the Great Union Day, celebrating the unity of the country.
- Let's continue to build our country as a great brand. Happy Romanian National Day!
- I wish you and your family a happy and safe Romanian Unification Day!
Romania is located in southeastern Europe, famous for the forests of Transylvania. It is the 12th largest country in Europe. By celebrating the Great Union Day on December 1, Romanians commemorate the historical process of unifying the historical provinces, where Romanians inhabited and became united in 1918, under the same national kingdom of Romania. After reading the article, I hope you will find everything you need to know about the National Day of Romania.