On the 24th of January, Romania celebrated “Little Union Day,” the anniversary of the day when Prince Alexandru Curza oversaw the unification of Wallachia and Moldova.
As with every 24th of January, traffic stopped for a small parade and a fireworks display around Avram Iancu Square. Leading up to noon, on national holidays like the First of December, 24th of January, New Years Day and a couple of religious holidays, you can expect to see a large parade. What is ironic is that traffic, including public transport, are not stopped until the last minute.
We would suggest not hurrying in your travels on such days and instead stopping to enjoy the parades, music, fireworks, and other displays of national pride and celebration. Also, do not book any guided tours for such days, as they may be rerouted and you might miss some of the more interesting parts of town. (Unless it is a walking tour specifically linked to that national day that uses the celebrations as part of the tour.)
It is interesting that sometimes even Romanians are taken by surprise, and driving tours are booked for the time when roads are blocked off.