Christmas in Hungary
"Boldog Kurascony"
In Hungary, as in many other countries in Europe, December 6th is the gift day for the children - St. Nicholas (Mikolás) Day. On this day they have good things to eat and get gifts from Mikolás, who carries a big sack full of presents. He dresses in red, wears a bishop's hat and has a staff.
With him are two helpers, one is the good angel who helps give out the presents and the other is the mischievious devil called Krampusz. When the first star appears on Christmas Eve, the Christmas feast begins. This consists of cabbage soup, horseshoe-shaped cakes filled with walnuts and poppy seeds, special bread twisted into decorative shapes and small dumplings covered with poppy seeds and sugar.
Before going to bed on Christmas Eve children get their best boot, polish it, and then put it on the windowsill for Mikolás to fill up with sweets, small presents. Hungarian children dress up in traditional folk costumes and go from house to house, knocking on the door. They tell the Christmas story in verse and act it out. They are rewarded with a gift of money.
