Hungarian Conservative

On Christmas Eve in 1944 the Soviet troops encircled Budapest, and the siege commenced a few days later, on 30 December. The fighting that went on for months caused enormous suffering and destruction, and became part of Hungary’s collective memory forever.

What started as a little bit of mischief by the young cadets in the US’s elite military academy West Point turned into a full-on mutiny. On the instigation of future Confederate President Jefferson Davis, the young military men snuck loads of alcohol into their barracks for a Christmas party in 1826—things got way out of hand fast…

In his year-in-review interview with the Hungarian sports daily Nemzeti Sport, the Prime Minister has also made the claim that ‘the time has come when Budapest cannot further develop to any great degree without the Olympics.’

The tragic fate and bravery of Gusztáv Jány, Commander of the Hungarian Second Army, mirror those of his troops, and, in many ways, of Hungary itself.

The MagosVölgy Ecological Farm in Terény, Nógrád County, produces
gorgeous vegetables from February to December for the 500-strong community around it.

Boxing Day football is a tradition in England that goes all the way back to the 19th century. A handful of Hungarian footballers have had the chance to participate in it in the modern, Premier League era. They include Crystal Palace goalkeeper Gábor Király, and West Brom and Fulham midfielder Zoltán Gera. This Christmas, we get to root for Dominik Szoboszlai at Liverpool and Milos Kerkez at Bournemouth.

The famous matyó embroidery is reinterpreted in the Matyodesign studio in Tard.

The loneliness and silence of the Danube Bend in the winter is difficult to describe. Pictures convey the story of the river and the mountains—beyond words.

Why not surprise your family with a truly Hungarian dish this winter? Learn more about Hungary’s number one Christmas gastronomic delight, stuffed cabbage rolls and test your cooking skills!

While the Christmas traditions of the Pilis Swabians have evolved and changed over the years, they have been largely preserved, and the spirit of the German Hungarian settlers is still alive, allowing the locals to honour their ancestral heritage at this time of year.

Music is an inalienable part of celebrations, and it is no different at Christmas. But what do Hungarians listen to and sing on this special holiday? We have collected the top classics for you in our article.

The first references to fisherman’s soup date back to the 1800s. Soon, fisherman’s soup became popular across the country, prepared with different fishes based on various recipes, but the fundamentals remained the same everywhere. The name ‘fisherman’s soup’ is owed to those fishermen who, lacking kitchen tools, prepared this now widely popular dish far from their homes on the shores of lakes or rivers.

The First World War is known as the first dreadful and devastating armed conflict that engulfed almost the entire world. However, a chain of events during the December of 1914, known as the ‘Christmas truce’, showed that humanity and brotherly love could prevail over the senseless killing, if only for a brief time.

In the West, there are a number of remarkable, colourful traditions linked to Christmas that vary from country to country. But what cannot be missing from any home where Christmas is celebrated is a decorated pine tree.

The best-known Hungarian language youth novel, The Paul Street Boys, written by Ferenc Molnár, was first publish in 1907 and it has enjoyed unbroken popularity ever since.

The second half of the 17th century was a time of great hardships for Protestants: Protestant church history calls the years between 1671 and 1681 the ‘decade of mourning’. Thanks to some illustrated works by pastors freed from galley slavery, however, we can get some idea of what the preachers wore in those days.

Bejgli, the mouth-watering poppy seed pastry, is one of the most favourite Christmas delicacies in Hungary.

In this article, historian László Bernát Veszprémy recounts the story of three Israeli prime ministers who resigned as a result of military debacles that happened under their leadership.

Imre Zsellér, a prolific artist, decorated hundreds of churches and public buildings across the Kingdom of Hungary with his extraordinary stained glass and mosaic creations.

Four Transylvanian friends dared to dream big and founded a sparkling winery in a small village in northern Transylvania a decade ago. This year, their Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine was recognized with a world championship title at the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships.

This autumn, the Hungarian parliament declared 16 December, the birthday of architect, writer, illustrator, ethnologist and politician Károly Kós, the Day of Hungarian Architecture. The Kós Károly Lifetime Achievement Prize, presented for the first time, was awarded to Sándor Dévényi.

Hungary is a hospitable land with exceptionally friendly people, a country known for welcoming millions of tourists annually. That kindness, however, shall not be mistaken for weakness, as over the course of history, Hungary has proved it is a birthplace of warriors, valiancy, and engineering ingenuity that brought about effective military technologies.

‘The mamaliga (a typical Romanian boiled cornmeal dish) will not explode,’ Communist dictator Ceaușescu famously said in the 1980s, dismissing the potential of the forces that opposed him. But the discontent with the oppressive regime had been brewing for a long time by then, so the sparkle represented by the brave resistance of Hungarian Reformed pastor László Tőkés and his flock was enough to light the fire of the revolution all across Romania.

During the oppression by the Communists, which specifically targeted Catholic churchmen, such as the Venerable Cardinal József Mindszenty, many priests were coerced to flee the country. Blessed Brenner, however, chose to stay, saying: ‘I’m not afraid. I’m happy to stay.’ He was murdered on 17 December 1957.

The brand new edition of our magazine features a piece by Miklós Szánthó, director general of the Center for Fundamental Rights, who wrote about the subversive nature and history of the new Woke ideology; as well as a statistical analysis of the difference in the ways democracies and autocracies wage war by political scientist and military historian Bruce Oliver Newsome, and two Christmas-themed articles as well, as per the holiday season. You can pick up the latest edition of Hungarian Conservative magazine at your local bookstore or newspaper stand; or, subscribe to our quarterly magazine on our website to make sure you never miss an issue.

Originally a Greek-built temple, now known as the cathedral of the Moscow Patriarchate, is one of the most iconic buildings on the Pest side of Budapest, right on the bank of the Danube River.

Publication of the latest work by Attila Futaki, a comic book artist of international fame, is an important domestic event: it presents the life and career of Ferenc Puskás.

‘King Matthias of Hungary (r. 1458–1490) spent many years of his reign in the saddle. This was the case in 1463, 1467, and 1475, when he “celebrated” Christmas in Jajce in Bosnia, in Brașov after the Battle of Baia, and then in Belgrade after the siege of the Szabács Castle against the Ottomans.’

The immensely popular band, featuring Hungarian-born guitarist Zoltán Báthory will come to Budapest to do a live show again in 2024.

In the 11th century, three brothers moved from the Kingdom of Hungary to the Kievan Rus—while one of them died defending the Rus’ first two saints, Boris and Gleb, the other two later became Orthodox saints themselves as well, establishing a monastery that functions till this day.