The majority of Hungarians is not a practising Christian nowadays. However, holidays with Christian roots are observed out of tradition. Christian holidays are also state bank holidays, when offices and even most shops close, only restaurants and entertainment facilities are open – for utility providers and traffic operators, these days are like Sundays. Read about our secular holidays here.
This holiday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, considered the son of god in Christianity. It falls on a different date each year. Usually, it is at the end of March or beginning of April. Easter is roughly at the same time as earlier non-Christian festivals celebrating spring, the rebirth of nature and fertility. Because of this, lambs, rabbits and eggs are all considered symbols of Easter. Traditional Easter meals consist of smoked pork ham, hard boiled eggs or egg salad. Children are given chocolate figurines of bunnies and chocolate eggs.
Besides Resurrection Sunday and Easter Monday, Good Friday is also a bank holiday starting from 2017.
Pentecost commemorates the sending of the Holy Spirit to the followers of Jesus. It is celebrated on the Sunday and Monday 7 weeks after Easter. Accordingly, it usually falls to the month of May. Since the time of Pentecost depends on the time of Easter, this holiday is also without a fixed date. Folk customs associated with Easter and Pentecost are no longer celebrated in Budapest. Most people just use the extra days off to enjoy spring by going hiking, or on a mini-vacation, taking advantage of the long weekend.
The 1st of November is All Hallows Day. However, most people use it to visit the graves of their loved ones. This is in commemoration of the following day, day of the dead, called All Souls’ Day in Christian custom, celebrated on the 2nd of November (which is not a bank holiday). They bring fresh flowers and light candles on the graves, and solemnly share some memories with family members.
The last and most famous of Christian holidays is Christmas. It celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Officially, the 25th and 26th of December are the days of Christmas. However, in Hungary, most family celebrations and gift-giving happens on the evening of the 24th. As a result, although the 24th is officially a regular work day, it is actually rather a “half day”: most employees are allowed to leave early, shops close around noon, and even public transport switches to night mode around 4 p.m.
Most traditional Christmas meals have dishes of sweet water fish. Sweet pastries filled with poppy seeds or walnuts are also popular. Many families and even shops and offices have a Christmas tree. This is a pine tree decorated with ornaments or gingerbread cookies to celebrate the holiday. Unlike in other European countries, Santa Claus does not visit on Christmas – he has his separate celebration on the 6th of December (which is not a bank holiday).
Click here to see the 2024 bank holidays in Hungary.
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After spending 10 years at the Buda Business Center, the Helpers Office is moving to Budapart, the new business district rising in the southern part of Budapest.
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Helpers is closing for the holidays. Our last working day is 23 December, and we open again on 4 January. In our Christmas charity project, we have donated to various NGOs selected by our staff.
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