CELEBRATIONS AND HOLIDAYS

Celebrations where Hungarian families get together (összegyűlik) are:

Christmas, Easter, birthdays, name days, wedding anniversaries, baptisms,
Valentine's Day, and All Souls' Day.

CHRISTMAS

For me, Christmas is the best holiday of the year. 4 weeks before Christmas, the
Advent season begins, the preparation for the holiday. Every Sunday a new
candle will be lit on the Advent wreath (koszorú) and Christmas songs are
singed by family members. At this time the children also have an advent
calendar in which there are chocolate figures.

The actual holidays fall on the 25th (twenty-fifth) and 26th (twenty-sixth) of
December, but the celebration begins on 24th (twenty-fourth) evening, that’s
called Christmas Eve. On December 24th (twenty-fourth) little Jesus brings
gifts to the good children. There is also the christmas tree, which is decorated
with electric lamps, chocolate figures, and beautiful balls.

At Christmas, family members make or buy each other gifts. We decorate the
Christmas tree and gather around on the evening to celebrate the birth of Jesus
Christ. My mother always cooks a fine Christmas meal, which is eaten
together in a cozy (hangulatos) atmosphere. I help her bake the coockies and me
and my brothers decorate the tree. At Christmas we always decorate the whole
house. At this time we have very good mood. In the evening my grandparents
come over and we give each other presents. For me, Christmas is the best
celebration, because the whole family is together.

That evening we always eat traditional dishes: fish soup or stuffed cabbage. My
mother also bakes many fine cakes, such as Beigli or Gingerbread.
New Year's Eve is on December 31st (thirty-first). It's the last day of the
year and this time we're celebrating that day. We're having a New Year's Eve
party, there are many programs on the TV, the young people are with their
friends. Most people drink alcohol and celebrate that a new year is coming.
There are people who make different vows (fogadalmak, stay fit, get in shape,
quit smoking, save money, etc.)

EASTER

Easter is not celebrated on a specific day, it falls on the first Sunday after the
spring full moon (tavaszi telihold), usually in late March or early April. At
Easter we celebrate the resurrection (feltámadás) of Christ. Easter consists
(áll) of two holidays: Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. On Sunday the
Easter Bunny brings to the children small gifts. The children have to build a
nest about grass to the rabbit, who puts chocolate eggs and the other presents in
this nest. Ham, boiled and colored eggs and cakes are served.

It has been a long tradition for boys to squirt the girls with water on Monday
mornings to keep them fresh and beautiful. Funny poems (versek) are recited
(elszaval). The girls are squirt with cologne (kolón, kölni) or with cold water.
The boys get money and red eggs for the watering and for the good wishes. In
the last year I have been given a lot of water, because my friends have come
over and they squirt me with a lot of soda and water. At Easter we always have a
lunch where we invite the whole family. My mum always cooks something
divine and me or my great-grandmother help a lot. We go to church and
celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I usually celebrate my birthday with my close family and my best friends. My

mother bakes or buys a cake for me. There are always as many candles on the
cake as my age is. I get flowers and gifts from family members and friends.
There is also a particularly (különösen) fine meal. If I'm having a party, then we
are talking (szórakozni) or we’re playing board games together. There are
people, who organize a birthday party, where they drink alcohol with their
friends.

When it is All Souls' Day (mindenszentek) we light candles for remembrance.

Also, we bring wreaths (koszorúk) to the graves and we place them on these
graves. There are people who pray.

Valentine's Day is a day when lovers buy gifts for each other (for women:
flowers, chocolate, jewelry, for men: chocolate, bracelet) to show their love.
It's an American tradition. People who don't have partners can feel themselves
lonely. It's a good holiday to flower shops.

Halloween is another holiday that originated (származik) from Ireland and was
developed in the USA. This time the children are going to collect chocolate.
There are a lot of teenager who also collect, but they often go to party.
Americans believe that when Halloween comes, the dead people are back in
our world. Besides that (ezenkívül), they think different monsters are walking
between us.

STATE HOLIDAYS

There are 3 national holidays in Hungary every year, which the whole country
celebrates.

March 15th. (fifhteenth) is the commemoration (megemlékezés) of the 1848-

1849 (eighteenfourthyeight to eighteenfourteenine) struggle for freedom, the
birthday of modern parliamentary Hungary. In my school, the tenth graders
always do a play so that we can commemorate.

August 20th (twentieth) is the official national holiday in honor of the founder
(alapító) of the state, Saint Stephen. On this occasion (ezen az alkalmon)
fireworks are held in the big cities and adults don’t need to go to work.
October 23th. (twenty third) is the beginning of the revolution and the fight
for freedom in 1956 (nineteenfiftheesix).

CUSTOM, TRADITION

When you think of Hungary, you think of wine, Hungarian kitchen and gypsy
music. There are many traditional customs in Hungary. It starts with the way of
date is writing, because Hungarians write first the year and then the month and
day.

The writing of the names is also different, because here you write the surname
first and then the first name. Also only in Hungary we celebrate the name day.
We don't celebrate the name day that big, we don't have a party. My family
congratulates me, I get smaller gifts, mostly chocolate, sweets, flowers or pocket
money. Then I can buy what I want. Of course there are divine meals that day,
we cook and bake what I like. When a woman marries, she takes her husband's
last name.

Hungary is also well known for its coffee house tradition. Many people have a
daily routine that includes coffee. Hungarian kitchen is best known about
goulash soup, paprika chicken, fish soup, pancake, stuffed cabbage, paprika and
salami. Hungarian dishes are a bit spicy for tourists, but they find them very
tasty and interesting and enjoy eating them.

I like the holidays, because the whole family is together, we give each other gifts
and eat a lot of dicine food.