December 2008 - QualityPlant newsletter
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Christmas traditions in Hunary
The holiday season starts with 'Advent' in Hungary, too. Advent wreaths can be seen in stores, schools, offices, and in almost every home. This time of year is the preparation for Christmas. Candles are decorated with red and gold ribbons symbolizing life and brightness. Most children get Advent calendars with a small gift or candy for every day before Christmas. Lights and decoration however stay inside the houses - streets and houses are not so spectacular here. Also, we never decorate a tree before the Holy night. Christmas trees can be seen during advent only in stores symbolizing holiday shopping.
Trees are decorated on the holy night. In addition to the usual decorations, also chocolate pieces in bright wrappings are used. In the Hungarian tradition the Christmas present is brought by baby Jesus in the evening. Some families (atheists or people influenced by occidental customs) follow the Santa Claus tradition. It was promoted also by the communist government that ruled until 1990. However, religious people follow the (Jesus kid) tradition and they go to the midnight mass, too.
Christmas Eve is a private, family holiday in Hungary, we don't go to parties. Most families decorate the tree together in the afternoon, but some families keep the older tradition that tree should be a surprise for children who even believe it was brought by baby Jesus. Children enter the room in the evening only when the small tree bells ring and music arises. Gifts lay around the tree with small labels saying the name of someone in the family. Family-members sing Christmas songs together, then open their gifts and spend the night together.
The menu for Christmas night is usually fish or cabbage with the special poppy-bread called 'beigli'. Beigli is a traditional cake, a paste roll filled with a cooked cream made of nuts or poppy-seed, with sugar, honey, jam, cinnamon, clove, raisins (see photo). Traditionally no meat is eaten on Christmas Eve.
Christmas is a two-day holiday in Hungary. In the two days of Christmas big families meet, often travelling to another town, or maybe very close friends visit each other. But these days are private days of our rush lives. We stop for two days and turn to people we love the most. Christmas is the holiday of love and heart.
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