Dent, Bob: Budapest for Children - Our Budapest (Budapest, 1992)
2. Balloons and Fireworks - Holidays and Festivities
18 BALLOONS AND FIREWORKS outbreak of the 1956 uprising. Officially very much a “political” day (speeches, etc.) but there may be some parades worth watching and some special concerts. The eve of December 6th [Mikulás] A special time for children, who put little boots in the window to be filled by Santa with chocolate, fruit, small gifts, etc. This doesn’t prevent Father Christmas from coming a second time at Christmas — lucky Hungarian children! Christmas [Karácsony] As at Easter some community centres (10) may organise traditional, folk-culture activities, such as children dressed up performing the Bethlehem story [Betlehemesek], Otherwise, although December 25th and 26th are the public holidays, it’s actually Christmas Eve which is the important time, particularly for children. (Public transport tends to close down about 4 pm!) It’s on the 24th when the Christmas trees (usually real ones bought at a market or on the street) are erected and decorated (traditionally, in the children’s absence, since “the angels” do it), and it’s on the eve when, similarly in the absence of the children, the presents appear beneath the tree. A favourite with children are the sparklers [csillagszóró] which are sold on the street at this time. The traditional, family Christmas dinner (carp or other fish) also takes place on Christmas Eve. The trees are taken down as early as January 6th. There is (as yet) no sense of overkill in terms of public Christmas decorations in Budapest, but there's often a large, decorated Christmas tree erected in Vörösmarty tér in the centre. New Year [Újév; Szilveszter] As the end of the year approaches the streets of Budapest begin to fill with stalls selling trinkets, masks and, in particular, paper trumpets, which children delight in blowing at all times, though they are intended for December 31st celebrations. On New Year’s Eve itself, Budapest’s Great Boulevard [Nagykörút] takes on a carnival atmosphere, particularly in the region of Blaha
