Hungarians celebrate Christmas with regional traditions and those shared with Central European nations. On the evening of December 5, Mikulás, the Hungarian counterpart of Saint Nicholas, visits the children to begin the gift-giving. Gathering around the Christmas tree, feasting, and midnight mass are traditions that Hungarian families observe on Christmas Eve. Singing Christmas songs around the tree follows the meal, and then comes the gift-giving. Traditional Hungarian cuisine consists of fish soup, stuffed cabbage, fried fish and rice, various meats (chicken, pig, etc.), and sweets (Christmas Cake Bejgli, honeybread cookies, walnuts, or poppy seeds). Szaloncukor, a traditional Hungarian sweet that is typically used as a tree ornament, is also widely available during this time.
Key Details
With a Catholic population that exceeds two-thirds, Christmas is a very important holiday in Hungary. Many different civilizations have left their mark on Hungarian Christmas customs. Along with the more common December 24th and 25th, two more important holidays in Hungary are December 6th (St. Nicholas) and December 13th (Santa Lucia). There’s a high percentage of Christmas attendance in Hungary since 42% of the population is Christian, and the majority of these are Roman Catholic (29%), followed by Calvinists (10%).
What the Hungarians Call “Christmas”
- Kellemes Karácsonyi Ünnepeket!: Merry Christmas!
- Boldog karácsonyt!: Happy Christmas!
- Kellemes karácsonyt!: Pleasant Christmas!
Karácsony is the Hungarian word for “Christmas.” Many theories have been put out to explain the term’s origins, but its exact derivation remains a mystery:
- Kračun: The phrase may have originated from the Slavic church word “kračun,” meaning “solstice,” which was borrowed into Hungarian by Bulgarian speakers, as per one theory.
- Crăciun: A second theory puts it as a borrowing from the Romanian “Crăciun,” a word whose exact origin is unknown but which is thought to have originated from the Latin “creationem.”
- Karadz: The origin of the name “karadz,” which refers to the December tax that the Turks levied on the Hungarians, is another possible explanation.
- Kerecsensólyom: An alternative explanation suggests it may be from the Hungarian word “kerecsensólyom,” which was used to describe the falcon that was worshipped in ancient times as a representation of the sun.
Christmas Traditions in Hungary
1. St. Nicholas Day
St. Nicholas Day, December 6th, sees the appearance of the saint Mikulás. He rewards excellent children with sweets and punishes bad ones with golden twigs. Krampusz, a demon armed with a whip, typically follows the saint in Hungary, much as in Tyrol and South Tyrol.
2. Saint Lucia’s Day
Once upon a time, on Santa Lucia Day (Luca napja)—the traditional winter solstice—December 13—it was common practice for Hungarian youngsters to go about chanting fertility spells. The boys who went around masked were in charge of control.
Also started on this day was the so-called “Santa Lucia chair”; it would be finished on Christmas Day after being crafted from nine distinct kinds of wood. Some superstitions were also associated with this day. For instance, on St. Lucy’s Day, women could not work.
3. Nativity Scene in Hungary
Traditionally, a container in the form of a church or a stable is used to display the Nativity scene in Hungary. Hungarians have been making nativity scenes since the 17th and 18th centuries. The Hungarian word for Nativity originates from the town of Bethlehem, where Jesus was born according to the Gospels. For 68 consecutive Novembers, the Hungarian hamlet of Vörs has adorned its church with a nativity scene.
4. Hungarian Christmas Tree
The Hungarian Christmas tree (karácsonyfa) is traditionally adorned with ribbons, candles, golden walnuts, and szaloncukrok (see below) on Christmas Eve (Szenteste), which means “Holy Night” in English. Adults, not kids, are traditionally expected to make this tree. When everything is ready, the parents ring a bell to let the kids know that presents are on the way.
5. Betlehemes Játék
The Betlehemes játék is a long-standing Christmas custom in Hungary. People would visit houses accompanied by Nativity scenes, often housed in wooden boxes, while costumed as shepherds or the Magi. This is called “Nativity Play.”
Squares in smaller towns or schools transform into stages where locals assemble to see nativity performances in the days before Christmas.
Puppet nativity plays are particularly popular in the Upper Tisza region, the southwest side of Lake Balaton, and the Esztergom area of Hungary. A similar puppet nativity play is also popular in Ukraine. This little portable puppet theater that performs nativity scenes is called “bábtáncoltató betlehemezés.”
6. Regölés
The regölés, which may have originated from the Latin regus, were another old practice in which communities would visit one another’s homes while singing verses of goodwill, new takes on old Hungarian tales, etc. The minstrels or shamans, of the Middle Ages can be associated with this practice.
In ancient Hungarian culture, the regöss were the singers and singers of the shaman or táltos. In the Middle Ages, the word regös occurs as an occupational name; they were probably the king’s court singers and royal co-drinkers. In the 19th and 20th centuries, they were already performers of regöse or regölés.
Christmas Food Traditions in Hungary
Fish is traditionally served as the main entrée on Christmas Eve supper in Hungary, representing Christ.
Bejgli
Bejgli, also known as beigli, are traditional holiday pastries filled with walnuts and/or poppy seeds. They are enjoyed throughout both Christmas and Easter.
Gerbaud (Zserbó)
A classic Hungarian celebratory treat is gerbaud, a multi-layered pastry filled with apricot jam and almonds and topped with chocolate.
Szaloncukor (“Parlor Candy”)
Chocolates filled with marzipan, almonds, or other fillings are called szaloncukrok, and they are both traditional sweets and decorations in Hungary. Szaloncukrok has been around since the 1800s.
Other Dishes
Among the traditional fare served during Hungarian celebrations are:
- Borleves (Wine Soup): A soup made with wine.
- Harcsa Pörkölt (Stewed Catfish with Pasta): Stew made with catfish served with pasta.
- Kacsasült (Roast Duck): Oven-roasted duck.
- Libasült (Roast Goose): Oven-roasted goose.
- Pulykasült (Roast Turkey with Lard): Turkey roasted with lard.
- Rántott Ponty (Breaded Carp): Breaded carp.
- Töltött Káposzta (Stuffed Cabbage): Cabbage leaves stuffed with various fillings.
Holiday Music
Two main examples of traditional Hungarian holiday music are:
- Kiskarácsonyi ének: Written by Endre Ady.
- Kiskarácsony, nagykarácsony Mikulás: Written by Zoltán Zelk.
Social and Economic Considerations
The yearly sales of szaloncukor candies, which amount to roughly 6,500 tons, are an important economic part of Hungary’s Christmas celebrations.