After 40 years of communism, holiday traditions are staging a comeback in Hungary.  Prior to 1989, anything having to do with Jesus and the nativity was subject to official censure. The government tried to convince people that religious holidays were foolish and a waste of time, definitely not in keeping with socialist progressive ideals.  With all the political changes in the past few years, however, traditional customs are returning and are being taught in churches and schools. 

The holiday season begins on the eve of December 5, when children clean their shoes and leave them on their windowsills. Mikulás (St. Nicholas) visits each home and leaves goodies in the shoes of those who have been well-behaved throughout the year. The goodies are usually lots of sweets, nuts and oranges, and perhaps a book or little toy. Mikulás' sidekick, Krampusz, a small, sooty-faced fellow who was draped in chains to make noise and scare off the devil, brings only a virgács for the bad children: a golden twig of birch that serves as a symbolic whipping switch.  Even under communism Mikulás Day was celebrated, though the state favored the secular name Télapú or "Father Winter."  Most Hungarians find it odd that in the U.S. and Britain, Santa Claus (or St. Nicholas) visits on Christmas Eve—they believe a separate day earlier in the month is more appropriate.

Like most of Europe, Hungarians have their main celebration on December 24.  A wonderful, rare experience occurs in the afternoon: Budapest, which is normally a loud, bustling city, comes to a complete standstill. It's amazingly quiet and peaceful. Stores and offices close around noon and public transportation comes to a halt at exactly 4:00 PM.  While Hungary is quickly catching up with the West in terms of commercialism, the Christmas atmosphere is still much quieter and more low-key.

Christmas celebrations on the 24^th usually involve just the immediate family. At about 4:00 PM when it's beginning to get dark, the children are taken to a side room where they wait with great anticipation and impatience.  In another room behind closed doors, Jezuska (Baby Jesus) arrives and begins working feverishly on the Christmas tree. When a small bell rings, the doors are finally thrown open and the children are allowed to run into the room.  They hurry to the window to see if they can spot Jezuska making his escape.  Although they never see him, the children are delighted to find that he has left a beautifully decorated Christmas tree with wonderful packages beneath it. Most families then join hands around the tree to sing a few Christmas carols before they dive into their presents. 

A feast begins right after the presents are opened and usually consists of fish soup, jellied carp or stuffed cabbage, and other family favorites. Many families buy their fish days ahead and keep them alive in the bathtub until the 24^th. Beigli is the most common Christmas dessert: rolled butter dough filled with poppy seeds or walnuts.

All of the feasting and merry-making will last until midnight, when the church bells start ringing for the midnight service. People walk to the nearest church, as there is still no public transportation running. Inside the churches a nativity scene is displayed; some are very old, some are hand-carved. The very best classical and folk music is playing all around the city on this night.

December 25 is when people begin to drop in on other relatives to exchange gifts and, of course, to continue the feasting. In some parts of the country, it's very common to find some Hungarians traipsing through the snow bearing a small manger or church, wearing nativity costumes and singing carols. They pass from house to house, entering each and relating the story of Jesus through play-acting, song and poetry.  The characters include  Herod (dressed as a hussar), Joseph, a royal envoy, two angels and two shepherds. After receiving gifts, they move on to another house. This very old tradition dates from the 12th century and is primarily followed by Roman Catholics. But it's become very popular for people of all religious backgrounds to see the Bethlehemezes (nativity play) in folk centers during the holiday season.