Saint Lucy’s Day in Hungary, the time of awaiting Christmas – and of witches

Saint Lucy’s Day, also called the Feast of Saint Lucy, is a Christian feast day celebrated on 13 December in Advent, commemorating Saint Lucy, a 3^rd century martyr. Many folk customs are connected to this day, probably because before the Gregorian calendar was introduced this day was the winter solstice (which is now the 21^st or 22^nd of December). Magyarorszagom.hu collected the traditions of this day.

Since Saint Lucy’s Day used to be the shortest day, and also the longest night of the year, it was connected to dark and sinister forces. There are more days in the Hungarian calendar to which similar traditions are connected. There are two Lucys in the common knowledge of Hungarians: a “good” one, and a “bad” one, a witch. The beliefs are most commonly connected to the latter.

Saint Lucy’s Day in Hungary

According to the folk tradition, on this day witches and other persons of magical forces appear, from whom people must hide away. Animals are not safe either, so their heads are rubbed with garlic on this day and a cross is painted on the doors of kennels, hen-houses and pigsties. People eat bread with garlic, to dispel the wicked with the smell. They also sprinkle tobacco in front of their houses and hide their brooms so that witches cannot fly away on them.