Hungarian etiquette: how to behave when you are staying in Hungary

Hungarians are proud of their customs and traditions. In addition, they have strict rules when it comes to etiquette and expect others to follow them. Read our article to find out how you should behave when you are staying in Hungary!

No loud noises in public

In some cultures, people are used to speaking quite loudly. However, in Hungary, you should avoid any loud noises. No loud singing, whistling or humming is tolerated. If you are using public transport, make sure you use your earphones or headphones when listening to music, as it is considered to be rude, if you listen to music loudly.

Read also: 5 things you should know about Hungarian people before you travel to Hungary

How to behave when you are invited to someone

According to c ulturalatlas.sbs.com.au, most visits are arranged in advance. You should not show up at someone’s doorstep unannounced. Give them time to prepare for your visit. More importantly, punctuality is crucial for most Hungarians. Therefore, if you are invited to an event, try to arrive on time. However, if you plan to go to a more informal party, it is acceptable to be late about 30 minutes.

Meeting people in Hungary

According to the rules of etiquette, when meeting people of the same sex, the younger person always greets the older person in advance, thereby expressing respect for the older person’s age, writes www.irodalmiradio.hu. Men usually greet each other with a handshake, in the case of women a handshake is not expected. According to the rules of the protocol, you must introduce – the man to the woman, – the younger person to the older person, – the lower position path/rank path to the higher one, – the later arrival to the person already there, taking into account the previous rules.

Read also: The history of the Hungarian language

The Hungarian hospitality

Eating and drinking are always considered special occasions for Hungarians. No matter if it is lunch or dinner, Hungarians like to organise the event to make sure everything is appropriate for the occasion. When catering at home, the host welcomes all arriving guests personally and ensures that the guests will get a drink immediately. As the guests leave, the host expresses how grateful they are that the guests have accepted the invitation.