Language/Hungarian/Culture/Holidays-and-Celebrations

Hungarian → Culture → 0 to A1 Course → Hungarian Customs and Traditions → Holidays and Celebrations

As a Hungarian language teacher with 20 years of experience, I believe that understanding the customs and traditions of a culture is essential in learning the language. Therefore, in this lesson, we will dive into the most important holidays and celebrations in Hungarian culture.

Don't miss the chance to check out these pages as you wrap up this lesson: Traditional Foods & Hungary Timeline.

Hungarian Holidays and Celebrations

Christmas (Karácsony)

Christmas in Hungary is celebrated on December 24th and is a family-centered holiday. The day starts with the decoration of the Christmas tree (Karácsonyfa), followed by a festive dinner (Vacsora). Families usually serve traditional Hungarian dishes, such as Fisherman's soup (Halászlé) and stuffed cabbage (Töltött káposzta). After dinner, families exchange gifts (Ajándékozás) and attend midnight mass (Éjféli mise) at a local church.

| Christmas | [kɒɾaːt͡ʃon] | Christmas |

New Year's Eve (Szilveszter)

New Year's Eve is celebrated on December 31st in Hungary. Hungarians usually spend the evening with family or friends and gather around the TV to watch the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (Bécsi Filharmonikusok) concert broadcasted live. At midnight, people toast with champagne (Pezsgő) and light fireworks (Tűzijáték) to welcome the New Year.

| New Year's Eve | ['silvɛstɛɾ] | New Year's Eve |

Easter (Húsvét)

Easter is the most important Christian holiday in Hungary and is celebrated in the spring. The day starts with a traditional Hungarian Easter breakfast (Húsvéti reggeli) which includes ham, eggs, and sweet bread. Families also paint eggs in various colors and patterns (Tojásfestés) and participate in egg tapping games (Tojásütés). On Easter Sunday, people attend a church service (Szentmise) and later on, families gather together for lunch (Ebéd), where they usually serve ham and traditional Hungarian Easter cake (Mákos Kalács).

| Easter | ['huːʃveːt] | Easter |

National Day (Nemzeti ünnep)

National Day is also known as the Day of St. Stephen (Szent István Napja) and commemorates the foundation of Hungary in the year 1000 by Hungary's first king, St. Stephen. The celebration takes place on August 20th and people usually participate in parades (Parádék) and watch fireworks (Tűzijáték). It is also customary to wear the national colors, red, white, and green (Nemzeti színek).

| National Day | ['nɛmzɛti, ynɛp] | National Day |

August 20th - St. Stephen's Day

August 20th is a national holiday in Hungary and celebrates St. Stephen, the first king of Hungary. On this day, people usually attend mass (Szentmise) and participate in parades to commemorate the king.

| St. Stephen's Day | [sɛnznt-iʃtvaːns-nɒpja] | St. Stephen's Day |

All Saints' Day (Mindenszentek)

All Saints' Day is a Christian holiday celebrated on November 1st in Hungary. On this day, Hungarians usually visit the graves of their deceased family members and place flowers (Virágok) on them. It is also customary to light candles (Gyertyák) to honor those who have passed away.

| All Saints' Day | ['mindɛnsɛntɛk] | All Saints' Day |

St. Nicholas Day (Mikulás)

St. Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 6th in Hungary and is especially popular among children. On this day, children place a cleaned boot (Tisztított csizma) in the window or outside their house and wait for "Mikulás" (Santa Claus) to come and fill it with sweets (Édességek).

| St. Nicholas Day | ['mikulaːʃ] | St. Nicholas Day |

Conclusion

In conclusion, holidays and celebrations are an important part of Hungarian culture and understanding them is crucial for anyone learning the Hungarian language. From Christmas to St. Nicholas Day, these holidays offer an insight into the traditions and customs of Hungary.

I hope you found this lesson interesting and informative. In the next lesson, we will discover traditional Hungarian foods and their cultural significance.

Finished this lesson? Check out these related lessons: Contemporary Hungarian culture & Social issues and activism.

Table of Contents - Hungarian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

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Pronouns and Verb Conjugation

• Personal Pronouns
• Present Tense Verb Conjugation

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

  ---

Questions and Negation

• Asking Questions
• Negation

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Adverbs of Time and Frequency

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Foods and Drinks
• Ordering at a Restaurant

  ---

Prepositions and Location

• Common Prepositions
• Expressing Location

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Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

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Hungarian Customs and Traditions

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Traditional Foods

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Possessive Pronouns and Plurals

• Possessive Pronouns
• Forming Plurals

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Hobbies and Leisure Activities

• Common Hobbies
• Discussing Interests

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Hungarian History and Geography

• Important Historical Events
• Geography of Hungary

Other Lessons

• Social issues and activism
• Hungarian cuisine and drinks
• Famous Hungarian writers and poets
• Traditional Foods
• Hungarian media and news outlets
• Hungarian holidays and celebrations
• Hungarian idioms and proverbs
• Geography of Hungary
• Hungarian geography and landmarks

Sources

• 10 Hungarian Holiday Traditions