Christmas traditions in Hungary

Traditions concerning different celebrations have always varied throughout the world. There are even differences in several regions of a country. Hungary is not an exception with its colourful range of traditions and folkways. Christmas is many people’s favourite time of the year so let’s see some Hungarian traditions connected to this intimate celebration.

Christmas is not the only wintertime tradition, a whole series of celebrations gathered around it. These traditions weren’t always the same, they varied throughout the centuries. Today, the Christmas-tree and gift-giving are in the spotlight, which are the habits of the modern times. The tradition of Christmas-trees spread in the 17^th century, in Germany. Legend has it that it was Martin Luther who first decorated a Christmas-tree for his children. Opinions differ about the appearance of the habit in Hungary.

Baron Frigyes Podmaniczky writes in his memoir that one of his female acquaintances (according to other sources, his mother) decorated a Christmas-tree when he was a child (around 1825) and this is where the habit comes from. Other sources say that Teréz Brunszvik, the founder of the first Hungarian nursery school, was the first to have a Christmas-tree in 1824. One thing is certain: the custom only really spread in the second half of the 19^th century, mainly in noble families after the encouragement of the royal court in Vienna. Then wealthier citizens, who wanted to follow the noblemen’s habits, took over this tradition. It only became general in all social classes in the 1930s.

Gift-giving wasn’t the part of Christmas for a long time. According to the popular belief, gifts are given by an unworldly creature.  In a lot of countries it is Santa Claus but we celebrate the day of Saint Nicholas on the 6^th of December. The figure of Little Jesus as a gift-giver became popular in the 17^th century and he is the one, to whom Hungarians kids write a list or letter about their wishes for Christmas.

Hungarian traditions concerning Christmas start on the 13^th of December, which is Luca Day. At the same time we make Advent wreaths with four candles that symbolise the four Advent Sundays leading up to Christmas. Families light one more candle every Sunday. Family members used to gather around the wreath and sing Christmas songs.