Are you going to celebrate Christmas in Budapest with Hungarian
friends?
I'll tell you some essential information about opening hours, public
transport and some interesting Hungarian Christmas traditions.
Streets are decorated with colourful lights, shop-windows are
adorned to lure in customers hunting for gifts as more and more people set out to look for
the ideal Christmas presents in shops or in the markets.
If you're looking for a unique Hungarian gift and want to get away
from the all alike shops, visit the Budapest Christmas Fair at Vorosmarty Square.
Opening Hours at Christmas in Budapest
Shops are open for the Bronze, Silver and Gold Sundays on the three
weekends before Christmas. Shops close around early afternoon on 24th December and only
open again on 27th December.
Some larger shopping malls might stay open until early evening on 24th
December.
On Christmas Day and Boxing Day all shops and supermarkets are closed
in Budapest. Many shops do not even open between Christmas and New Year's Eve.
Life gets back to normal after 1st January.
Restaurants are also closed on Christmas Eve (24th Decemeber), but
most of them open on 25th-26th December.
Budapest is a popular tourist destination, even in winter, and
restaurant owners are well aware of that. Don't worry, you'll definitely find several good
restaurants open during Christmas in Budapest.
Public Transport at Christmas in Budapest
Public transport vehicles run until around 15:00-16:00. After 16:00
night services carry passangers.
On 25th-26th December vehicles run according to the holiday schedule.
Between 27th and 1st January, vehicles run less frequently than they do on usual weekdays.
As it's also holiday at schools, all public transport vehicles run according to schedules
valid during school holidays.
Some Hungarian Christmas Traditions
At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in Hungary. The
main celebration is on Christmas Eve (it's Szenteste in Hungarian, meaning Holy Night).
Familiy members get together in the afternoon on 24th December and
decorate the Christmas tree. Grandparents or elder brothers and sisiters look after the
little ones, so they won't see their presents placed under the tree. The fragrant fir is
adorned with colourful paper decorations and a special Hungarian Christmas candy
(szaloncukor), wrapped in shinny coloured papers.
Housewives cook traditional Hungarian Chrismas dishes in the kitchen.
We usually have fish soup, stuffed cabbage, pastry rolls stuffed with poppy seed, walnut
or chestnut stuffings (it's called bejgli in Hungarian).
Family members exchange gifts in the evening, on 24th December, while
listening to tradtitional Christmas songs.
In Hungary, baby Jesus brings the presents; not Santa. (We celebrate
the arrival of Santa on 6th December, St. Nicholas Day).
At midnight people go to the midnight mass. Organ music and pine scent
fill the air in churches where people sing together classical Christmas songs. Even
non-religious people attend this mass beacuse of its festive and uplifting atmosphere.
On the following two days relatives and friends visit each other at
their homes, have traditional Christmas dishes and desserts.
Weather around Christmas in Budapest
When I was a little kid there was always thick snow around Christmas.
The first snowflakes fell usually at the end of November. The temperatures were around
zero or below.
Today it is hard to tell what the weather will be like around
Christmas. The weather around Christmas is sometimes rather mild and dull, with some rain,
and it's crispy and sunny with crystal blue sky at times.
I prefer the latter, though I long for white Christmas every year.
Programs at Christmas in Budapest
The world famous 100-member Gypsy Orchestra performs a concert on 30th
December, at 6 pm in the Budapest Congress Centre. They'll play both clasical and
traditional folk music.
The whole city calms down for a couple of days. You can only hear the
sound of Christmas concerts and Advent songs in Budapest's churches.
After the hectic shopping it's a real relaxation to listen to the
organ works and contemplate about the meaning of Advent and Christmas.
I recommend the Lights of Christmas Festival in Matthias Church on
Castle Hill.
By Erzsebet Dobos.
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