Christmas and the winter holiday have always had special significance in Hungary, even in Socialist times. We have collected some fun facts for you related to Hungarian Christmases through time—enjoy!
Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights, commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the second century after it was liberated. This year’s Hanukkah will start on 25 December and end on 2 January 2025.
’Hungary is the beating heart of conservatism in Europe. The liberal establishment intuitively knows that to disrupt the education and development of Hungarian children and support for family values will atrophy this most precious vessel of common sense on the continent. All friends of national self-determination have a genuine interest in backing Mr. Orbán in these hard hours for Hungary.’
The high-profile clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool ended in a scoreline very dear to Hungarian football fans, 3–6, to Liverpool. Hungary captain Dominik Szoboszlai scored a goal and made an assist during the victory solidifying the Reds’ place on top of the Premier League table for Christmas.
An extraordinary life blessed with unshakeable faith, dedicated to selflessly serving the community: meet Dr. István Horváth, a pillar of the New Brunswick Hungarian American community, and his family.
‘I know that if I ask God for something, I will eventually get it. But that doesn’t mean my prayers are only for asking. There are some who feel that being Catholic is only about asking and they are disappointed when they don’t receive what they prayed for. But it doesn’t work that way. I say a long prayer every night to give thanks for all that I have,’ says István Horváth in a profound and moving conversation with our Diaspora correspondent.
Christmas traditions were our ancestors’ way of ensuring the coming year’s success and their families’ health. Magyar Krónika has listed some of the old Hungarian festive customs.
Urban Verbunk is an all-male dance troupe founded in 2018. Its leader, Ahmed Moussa, spoke with Hungarian Conservative to explain the philosophy and the passion behind their ‘urban folk’ project that popularizes Hungarian culture across countries and continents.
As the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the EU concludes, even EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a frequent critic of the Orbán administration, has praised its achievements at a press conference. She highlighted the Budapest Declaration on the New European Competitiveness Deal, expanding the Schengen Area to Romania and Bulgaria, and progress on the Western Balkan EU expansion.
In October 2024 Hungary saw a surge in wages, with the average gross income rising by nearly 13 per cent compared to last year. This growth, coupled with low inflation, marks the 14th consecutive month of significant real wage increases.