Page 5 - Italian American Herald - November 2020

FROM THE COVER
The colors of Italy on display during National Unity Day.
Over the years there have been calls
to both change the name of the holiday and also to abolish it. The name was changed in 1922 to the Anniversario della Vittoria to herald Italian military power but then changed back at the end of World War II. There was a period in the 1960s and 1970s when the holiday became a flashpoint for various political groups
who objected to what they saw as the glorification of militarism and nationalism. The holiday survived those tumultuous years, became progressively smaller and today is actually more of a pseudo-national holiday.
Strangely enough, this holiday is no longer a national holiday which allows businesses to shut down and the public to take off for the day. The change took place on National Unity Day in 1977. Since the celebration took place just four days after the legal holiday of All Saints’ Day holiday on Nov. 1, the celebration on Nov. 4 changed from a national public holiday to just a national holiday, therefore abolishing the day off.
It is no longer a public holiday, but
the day is still marked with various commemorative events. The main event is a military display at the Altare della Patria
in Rome’s Piazza Venezia, attended by the Italian president and minister of defense. The head of state lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier or Milite Ignoto, who was buried at the monument on Nov. 4, 1921, in the First World War, and also at Vittorio Veneto, which is the site of the final battle between the Royal Italian Army and the Austro-Hungarian Army.
During the celebration, the Italian president and Minister of Defense send a message of greeting and gratitude in the name of the entire country to the Italian armed forces. The day is also celebrated in other institutional offices of the regions, provinces and comuni of the nation.
One of the most visible events of the holiday is the changing of the guards at the Quirinal Palace in Rome with the Corazzieri regiment. The regiment is an elite Italian military unit and the honor guard for the president of the republic. The fourth Carabinieri Cavalry Regiment, formed in 1963 and tasked with riot patrol, rescue and civil defense as well as other various duties, also participate. They are noted for their distinctive uniform
and are also famous for carrying out the historic carousel, an equestrian event
The Italian Fourth Carabinieri Regiment perform their famed “Carosello.”
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which reenacts the Carabinieri’s charge at the Battle of Pastrengo. This rite occurs only in other two occasions, during celebrations of Tricolor Day (Jan. 7) and Republic Day (June 2).
The Italian Army Forces usually open their barracks to the public and allow visits to the naval military units. Displays of arms and exhibitions about World
War I are often held inside the barracks. There are often sport demonstrations and exercises carried out by soldiers.
In the squares of the main Italian cities, concerts are performed by military bands, as well as other celebrations in front of the monuments to the fallen situated in each Comune. IAH