I believe it is quite important for us to have leisure activities in our lives because otherwise

life would be sad and boring. Everybody needs to relax, switch off and forget about the
problems that cannot be solved easily. We have to work to earn money and provide for our
family, we need to sleep to give our body time to have a rest and regain energy, but we also
need some sort of activity that makes us happy and gives joy. In the evenings most
Hungarian people watch TV, talk on the phone or chat on the Net with their friends or
relatives. Some other people read, listen to music, or watch something on Netflix or HBO
Max. Few people go out on weekdays. Personally, I like to read, listen to music and playing
tennis in my free time. Some outdoor activities depend on the weather and differ according
to the four seasons. In spring people walk in the woods and admire reviving nature, go for
outings or excursions. In summer they go on one or two-day trips, invite their friends to have
a barbecue or do some sport. In autumn families can have trips in Mátra mountain for
example. Winter weekends and holidays are often spent outdoors skiing and ice-skating, but
you can also stay at home if you’d like to.
Many people have hobbies nowadays. Hobbies can be active or passive, outdoor or indoor,
team or individual, free or expensive. Doing any kind of sport, playing a musical instrument,
or singing in a choir, building models, cooking, gardening, fishing, acting, or dancing can give
happiness to the doer. Collecting has a very important role in human culture. We are
historically compelled to collect as we used to be hunters and gatherers. People collect
things for many different reasons. Some people collect to create their own identities, some
do it as an investment, and some others for pure enjoyment. Things from the past help us
understand where we come from and where we belong. It can be a way of creating value in
things. Some people collect for profit, and if the collection is increasing in value, they sell
certain pieces or swap rare items. Moreover, if you are a collector, you can expand your
social life, attend swap meets and get in touch with collectors on the Internet.
Petkeeping is also very common among people in the 21st century. Pets can provide
company for lonely or elderly people. Children are curious and interested in animals and like
observing them and playing with them. We are historically bound to live with animals and
mankind has domesticated several types of them. Dogs are a good example of that. I have a
cat and a dog at home as well and I love them very much, I couldn’t imagine my life without
them. Besides its advantages, there are also some disadvantages of keeping pets. Pets need
constant attention, they cause quite a lot of work and take up part of our free time, we must
feed them, take them for walks and clean their homes. If you go on holiday you have to ask
someone to look after your pet or take them to special homes or local kennels.

I like to listen to music at home, but sometimes I go to concerts. Visiting concerts and
festivals is very popular among teenagers and young people. These concerts are special
events, as they are rather about being together, inhaling a sort of fantastic atmosphere.
They are unique, and you can have the experience of a lifetime. However, the ticket prices
have rocketed in the last decade, so they are not always affordable, and it has its own
dangers and disadvantages.