Dos and don’ts if your Hungarian friends invite you to their place
In addition to good appearance and cheerfulness, it is worth considering a few rules of etiquette when a Hungarian friend invites you to his/her house. Here, we collected the most important guidelines that you should keep in mind when you are invited as a guest in Hungary.
Arrange the meeting in time
It is important for both the host and the guest to arrange the meeting in time. This enables both parties to prepare themselves for the long-awaited meeting and make the most of it. In the preparation phase, the host cooks up a delicious multi-course dinner, while the guest dreams up a memorable gift for the special occasion.
Personalised gift
According to the Hungarian rules of etiquette, a guest should never come to a house party/dinner with empty hands. Normally, a bottle of fine wine for the man and a flower or dessert for the woman can be perfect presents.
However, if we would like to give something special to a Hungarian friend, let’s prepare a personalised gift.
In the case of a close friendship, this can include a shared memory from the past or a common photo on a souvenir. It is also worth bearing in mind that the expensiveness of the gift is not the point, it is rather about the creativity and the sentimental value of the surprise. With this, we can look forward to an even more memorable evening.
Warming up
A pleasant meeting among friends usually starts with pálinka, champagne or other special spirits and some delicious bites from the homemade patty. As a guest, we should definitely accept these delicacies. In the case we do not consume alcohol, we can be sure that our friend will offer a non-alcoholic drink for us. Hungarian hosts pay attention to such important details. The warm-up phase is extremely important, which sets the good atmosphere of the evening.
Compliments to the host
During the evening, a guest should not skimp on compliments.
If you like the food, be sure to mention a few kind words to the host.
You should also express your gratitude if you are satisfied with the hospitality and the atmosphere of the evening. This is well-deserved feedback for the host who may have been preparing for the special occasion for days.
Rules of leaving
When leaving, we should say goodbye to everybody one by one either with two kisses on the cheeks, a hug (close friends) or a handshake. With this gesture, we can express our respect for all the participants of the evening. For the last time, we can repeat some compliments to the host and express our gratitude for the special evening.
What a silly generalisation.
Arranging the time is just common sense especially if a meal is going to be served or if children need to be bathed, read to, tucked in before guests arrive or if there is a group activity planned, like board games. Not sure what a homemade patty is. We consider a patty to be the flattened round of hamburger that you are about to fry or BarBQ to build a hamburger.
Right away I see a problem with alcohol being served early in the gathering unless it is a situation where people know one another very well & know that serving booze will not cause domestic violence problems or insult someone who does not drink for religious or other reasons WHICH THEY DO NOT HAVE TO EXPLAIN. Same goes for food, it should be neutral if you do not know the guests very well. There needs to be meatless dishes, no dairy if there is meat served incase someone eats Kosher, something with no egg and no flour so that a person can pick and choose safe foods for themselves. Sugarless options for diabetics or dieters. No explanation required. Since peanutbutter or sea food can kill someone fast, they should let hosts know about that restriction early after the invite.
As far as I’m concerned a house plant is the safest gift or a good box of chocolates or cheeses that the guest would like to introduce to the hosts. Since SO many Hungarians have alcoholism in their families, bringing booze of any kind to a house might start someone drinking who does not have good self control. I have such a beloved relative & she is in self -destruct mode after just seeing a bottle. Then the sneak drinking starts.
It is important for both the host and the guest to arrange the meeting in time. This enables both parties to prepare themselves for the long-awaited meeting and make the most of it……….AND THEN TURN UP LATE!!!