23 October is a national holiday in Hungary, it commemorates the Revolution of 1956, when Hungarians rose up against the Soviet presence in Hungary.
Brief history:
Organized demonstrations by Hungarian citizens had been ongoing since June 1956. On October 23 the protests erupted into violence as students, workers, and even some soldiers demanded democracy and freedom from the oppressive Soviet presence in Hungary.
Furious fighting broke out in Budapest between the protesters and Hungarian security forces and Soviet soldiers. In the next few days, hundreds of protesters in Budapest and other Hungarian cities were killed in these battles.
23 October is also the day of the proclamation of the Hungarian Republic (1989).
As 23 October is a national holiday, every shops, malls, supermarkets, hypermarkets, institutions and offices are closed.
