In Hungary Christmas begins with Advent, which starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas day, the nearest Sunday to November 30 th, and ends on Christmas Eve. Most small children receive an Advent calendar – either home made or shop bought – and each day a section is opened to reveal a tiny gift or a piece of candy. An Advent wreath usually decorates the house.

In addition, another traditional event is celebrated, especially in villages. On the 1 st December, village people start to make a chair from seven different types of wood. It must take 13 days to make so it should be completed on Luca Napja or Luca's Day on the 13 th December. An old superstition claims that if you stand on this chair at the Christmas Eve Mass you will see all the bad people and the witches in the room.

 

Christmas Eve is when the main celebration is held in Hungary .

The Christmas tree is an important part of the celebration but before Christmas Eve they are only seen in shops and public places.

If there are young children in the house, the tree is smuggled into the house on Christmas Eve and is secretly decorated. When they are taken to see it they are told that angels have decorated it and that the Baby Jesus left the gifts under the tree. If the family is older then everyone helps decorate the tree.

Traditionally the tree was decorated with lighted candles but nowadays electric lights are used. Bright baubles and many edible items such as small flat honey cakes are used to decorate the tree.

Chocolate dipped candies called S zalon cukor are special to Hungary . They are w rapped in shiny foil and look similar to tiny Christmas crackers and hundreds are hung on the tree where they sparkle in the tree lights. I have been told, in the strictest confidence, that there is an art to extracting the candy and leaving the wrapping intact on the tree!

Food preparations will have begun the week before and on Christmas Eve evening, the first of the celebration meals are served. Traditionally it will be Halászlé, Hungarian fish soup, usually made with freshwater fish such as carp followed by carp steaks dipped in egg and breadcrumbs and fried and served with potatoes and salads. The meal finishes with beigli, which is a yeast roll, filled with either a mixture of walnuts, raisins, rum or one filled with ground poppy seeds and raisins.

After the meal has finished everyone gathers around the tree and the presents are handed out and opened.

 

Christmas day dinner is a family meal and usually consists of Roast Goose, boiled ham and roast meat with Red Cabbage and potatoes followed by tortes (various cream filled sponge cakes) and Cookies.

Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) – traditionally Stuffed Cabbage is served which has been prepared before Christmas so the cook gets a rest.

Throughout the season, everybody visits friends and family where the walnut and poppy seed loaves, cookies, tortes, coffee, palinka or wine are offered to the guests.