National Holidays in Hungary

New Year's Eve (Szilveszter) and New Year's Day (Újév)
Besides the standard merry-making, there is also a New Year's ball and concert at the
Hungarian State Opera House in Budapest. Stalls on the streets of Budapest sell masks
and noisy paper trumpets.

March 15
1848 Revolution Day - 1848-as Forradalom és Szabadságharc
The “Hungarian spring” - a bloodless fight for freedom against Habsburg domination which later led to war against Austria and its allies  Each year on March 15, the Hungarian tricolors of red, white, and green are prominently displayed all over the country.

Easter Sunday and Monday – Húsvét
Easter is an important religious holiday in Hungary. The day before families with children
paint easter-eggs of all styles and color. Children find small gifts beside their beds early
Sunday morning. A traditional breakfast follows of easter-eggs, ham, braided cake bread,
horse-radish and hot chocolate. Many families go to church this morning to celebrate the
resurrection of Jesus Christ.

On Monday, many people carry on the tradition of "sprinkling". While once young men
used to pour buckets of water over young women's heads, today they spray perfume or
water and then ask for a kiss and a red egg. Painted eggs as well as chocolate-ones are
exchanged.

Mother's Day – Anyák napja
Mothers receive flowers, sometimes hand-picked, and other presents, usually handmade
from their children on this day.


May 1
Labor Day – A munka ünnepe
Workers unions organize a celebration in Városliget (Budapest's City Park) with
speeches, acrobats, clowns, food and music.

Children's Day - Gyermeknap
Parents take children on special outings to places such as the Zoo, fun fairs, or on family
nature walks (kirándulás) in the Buda hills.

.
August 20
St. Stephen's Day - Szent István napja

In the year of 1000, Hungary’s first king, the Christian St Stephen, was crowned this day,
and the Hungarian (Magyar) state was founded. Traditionally, the first bread from the new harvest is baked for this day. Parades and music are among the festivities, and an impressive fireworks show is  launched over the Danube at night.

October 23

1956 Uprising Memorial Day – Az 1956-os forradalom emléknapja
This national holiday commemorates the outbreak of the people's uprising against Soviet
domination in 1956. The new prime Minister, Imre Nagy withdrew from the Warsaw Pact of “communist” countries. Soviet troops invaded. In November, after lots of bloodshed, the Hungarian revolution was put down by the powerful Red Army of the Soviet Union. Imre Nagy and many other leaders and participants were executed by the soviet regime. Soviet troops stayed in Hungary  until 1991. The country also celebrates Hungary's new constitutional status in 1989.

December 6
Santa Claus (St. Nicholas') Day  - Mikulás
Children put their clean boots on their window-sills the night before. In the morning,
“Good” children find candy, nuts and fruit, sometimes even small toys in their boots, while
“bad” ones get bunches of twigs (virgács). Mikulás, however, never finds entirely wicked
children in Hungary.
Most kids then receive both candy and virgács.

Christmas - Karácsony
The traditional family Christmas celebration, dinner and  exchange of gifts takes place on the eve of December 24th.  The 25th and 26th are public holidays when relatives visit each-other. Hungarians set up their Christmas tree on the 24th, and leave it on until it lasts.Vörösmarty tér features a large Christmas tree, and there is a cheerful and cosy outside Christmas market there. Live music is often heard in the city.


 

Budapest

The Story of Budapest:
 About 2 million people live in the capital. It is a European city. During its long history it was destroyed several times, and its citizens exterminated; yet it has always risen again, evolving and becoming ever bigger and more colorful.

The Danube, Europe's highway, determines the life of Budapest dividing it into two and yet connecting both sides of the city. Not only the Danube, but also the hot springs under the city have had a significant role in the area's development. The first city, Aquincum (in the area of today's Óbuda) with a significant number of citizens was founded by the bath loving Romans.

Budapest was created by the unification the three cities of Buda, Óbuda and Pest in the year 1873.
 
 
Sights of Budapest
I think I would take the visitor to Gellért Hill frist, because this is the best point from which to see the panorama of the city. There is also a fortress on the top of the hill, called the Citadel. It is a white-stoned fortress from the 19 th century on the top of Gellért Hill, crowned by the 14 m tall Liberation Monument, a striking statue of a woman holding a palm leaf of victory. You can enjoy from here a wonderful panorama of the whole city.

Then I would take the visitor to the centre of Buda where we can find the Castle Hill. You can find Buda Castle here. This was the residence of Hungarian kings. The fortification system and palace, built in the 13th century following the Mongol invasion, was destroyed and rebuilt many times.
In the central square there stands Matthias Church. This was the coronation church of Hungarian kings since King Matthias. It was built in the 13th century in Gothic style. Next to it we can see the bronze statue of King Stephen I.
Behind the church the Fishermen's Bastion can be found, from which there is a magnificient view of the Danube with the Houses of Parliament on the opposite bank. The construction of Parliament began in 1885 according to plans by Imre Steindl. Completed in 1904 it is one of Europe's most splendid Parliament buildings, and at the same time it is one of the landmarks of the capital.

The most popular park for people living in Budapest is the beautiful Margaret Island, which is right in the middle of River Danube. It got its name after Princess Margaret who lived here in a convent in the 13 th century. Today medicinal thermal baths, an open-air theatre and fine restaurants attract thousands of tourists each year.

One of the best known monuments in Pest is the one in the Heroes’ square. It was built for the Millenium Celebrations of 1896, celebrating the 1000 years of Hungarian history. Near the monument you can find The Hungarian National Museum. It was built in 1847 according to plans by Mihály Pollack. Treasures of Hungarian history, including the coronation insignia are displayed here. The staircase of the Museum is adorned by the frescoes of famous Hungarian painters.
To the left of the Millenary Monument stands the Museum of Fine Arts by architect Albert Schickedanz. Most notably, the "Old Picture Gallery" holds masterpieces by Spanish painters like Murillo, El Greco and Goya. It contains also a special Egyptian exhibit.
In the City Park you can find Széchenyi Bath, the largest thermal bath of Budapest. Its thermal springs were discovered in 1879 - they are the deepest and warmest thermal wells in Budapest. It is a vast complex of indoor and outdoor pools, situated in the middle of the City Park near the Budapest Zoo and The Amusement Park which all tourist with children should also visit.
In Pest tourists should also visit St. Stephen's Basilica. Dedicated in 1905, with a dome 96 m high Basilica holds up to 8500 persons. St. Stephen's statue of Carrara marble by Alajos Stróbl stands in the Sanctuary.

Hungary has various tourist attractions. Beside enjoying the wonderful sights in Budapest, tourists can relax on the numerous beaches of Lake Balaton. They can go and see the lovely Hungarian villages where traditions of folk art are preserved and treasured. Or they can visit some of the smaller but beautiful towns like Veszprém, Kőszeg, Eger, Szeged, Sopron etc.




 

Hungary

THE HISTORY OF HUNGARY
Hungary boasts a rich and varied history, one that stands apart from those of its neighboring countries. The Magyar people came to Hungary from Central Asia late in the ninth century. Though they quickly established ties with their Slavic neighbors, their language and culture remain distinct to the present day. Hungarian is a Finno-Ugric language, which holds no resemblance to the Slavic language family.
Prior to World War I, Hungary joined with Austria to form the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The outcome of the war brought an end to this union in 1918, devastated the population, and resulted in the loss of much of Hungary's territory. When World War II began less than thirty years later, Hungary joined with the Germans and Italians, hoping to reclaim the lands lost in the previous world war. Early in 1945, the German forces in Hungary were defeated by the Soviets. The Soviet victory foreshadowed the onslaught of the communist regime which was to rule Hungary for the next four decades.
In 1956, an uprising against the Soviet-backed government, which included student rallies in Budapest, forced the Soviets to bring in their tanks. The secret police opened fire on demonstrators, students attempted to take over the radio station, and rebel units of the Hungarian army fought against the incoming Soviet tanks. After nearly a week of fighting and general unrest, the Soviets agreed to withdraw. Later in the year, however, the Soviet army returned to Budapest in even greater force to crack down on the unrest. The tanks showed no mercy by destroying buildings, while Soviet troops sprayed machine gun fire at Hungarian civilians. Thousands died and an even greater number left the country.
In 1989, the ruling communist party in Hungary fell from power after the Soviets could no longer provide economic assistance. The Hungarian people replaced the single party system with a multi-party parliamentary democracy in 1990 and held free elections.
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, which so poignantly symbolized the collapse of the communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe, did not bring immediate relief to the people of the region. For many, it further complicated their lives. The personal freedoms that resulted brought sighs of relief from many people, but the challenges that lay ahead seemed bewildering, even frightening, to the many people who had only dim recollections of the period before 1945. Without the widespread government subsidies and full -employment policies of the old regime, many would be left to fend for themselves in the unfamiliar environs of an open market.
It will take years, if not decades, for the Hungarian economy to function smoothly enough to compete with the well-established market economies of the West. Hopefully, Hungary's experience with the gentler brand of communism that allowed some free enterprise, combined with a willingness to improve upon their situation will bring economic prosperity in the not-so-distant future.
Land and Population
Hungary's area is 93,000 sq km's with a population of 10 Million. The capital of the country is Budapest with 2 Million inhabitants and the notion of a large city. 90% of the population belongs to the majority. Major minoritities include Romas, Germans, Slovaks and Romanians.

The official language of the country is Hungarian, but lot of Hungarians speak English and/or German. Most of the religious people are Roman Catholic, about a quarter are Reformed (Calvinist) and less than 10% are Evangelical (Lutheran), 5% belonging to other religions. The Hungarian state is a parliamentary democracy.

Hungary has been a member of the European Union since 2004. The country's major industries are mining, metallurgy & agriculture, construction materials, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals) and motor vehicles. Major trading partners are Germany, Austria, Italy and Russia. Economic growth is above 4% for the past years mainly due to the dynamic expansion of export.
THE CLIMATE OF HUNGARY
Hungary's climate is temperate, with little variation throughout the country. July and August are the hottest months, when temperatures may average in the low eighties. The coldest months of winter are usually January and February when temperatures may dip into the mid-twenties. Snow is not uncommon during the winter months.
THE GEOGRAPHY OF HUNGARY
Hungary is a country of just under 36,000 square miles, situated between Austria, Slovakia, the Ukraine, Romania, and the trio of formerly Yugoslavian territories: Slovenia, Serbia, and Croatia. The Danube River, running north-south, partitions the country roughly into two distinct regions. The western portion of the county, called Transdanubia (or Dunatul in Hungarian), has a varied topography of smaller mountains and numerous hills mixed with flat, open ranges. To the east is a flat area known as the Great Plain, which stretches to the east and south of Budapest. At the top of the eastern portion of the county, stretching toward the border with the Ukraine, are the mountain ranges of northern Hungary
Politics
Presently, Hungary is governed by a multi-party parliamentary democracy, composed of a parliament, a state president, and a prime minister. The president acts as the head of state and holds the power to veto laws that are deemed unconstitutional. The prime minister leads the government and chairs meetings of cabinet ministers.
Because of economic instability since the revolution of 1989, the parties that govern Hungary have changed frequently. The voting populace seems uncertain of where to place the power, not knowing which party will live up to its promises to better the standard of living and curtail the rapid rates of inflation and unemployment.

 

My home town - Hévíz

Hévíz is one of the biggest and best known spa resorts of Hungary. It lies 6 kilometres from Keszthely at the western corner of Lake Balaton. Here we find the biggest hot water lake in the world.
The town of Hévíz has got 4800 inhabitants but thousands of tourists come here for the sake of rehabilitation all the year round. The temperature of the water reaches 30-35 degrees in the summer and it does not go below 22 degrees even in winter. One of the specialities of the lake is the highly curative mud, which is used for mudpackings, but the water itself and the treatments also cure rheumatical diseases of the joints and the bones, locomoter disorders, neuritis and lumbago, too.
The lake has some special species of animals and plants, for example the symbol of Hévíz: the waterlilly.
The "miraculous" effect of the lake was already recognised by the Romans, but the town was turned into a spa only in 1795 by György Festetics. He started the building of the first bath houses on the lake. Since then millions of foreign and Hungarian people have visited the town. The State Spa Hospital, which can be found near the lake, provides a wide choice of therapies, for example complete balneo-, hydro-, and electrotherapy, healing massage and exercises and stand-by services, as well.
Besides this about 23 hotels provides accomodations and means of entertainment for people visiting the town. In the summer brass bands, majorettes, operetta performances and concerts entertain visitors. And, of course, from the town you can go on short excursions to the towns and villages in the neighbourhood. You can visit the ruins of Rezi or Tátika castles, Badacsony, Tapolca, Sümeg and Keszthely, too.

 

My home town - Keszthely

Keszthely is an ancient town by the west shore of Lake Balaton. It is one of the oldest settlements around the lake. The town has got 24 000 inhabitants but in summer thousands of tourists come to spend some nice days here. Lake Balaton is the number one tourist attraction of Hungary after our capital, Budapest.
The town is full of beautiful sights and buildings, which all tourists should visit. The most famous one is the Festetics stately home. In the building you can find the famous
Helikon Library and you can see exhibitions, too. In the park around the building some very old and rare trees and plants can be seen. In 1745 Kristóf Festetics started the building of the stately home, and his son, György Festetics established the Georgikon in 1797. It was the first permanent agricultural college in Europe.
From the stately home you can walk along Kossuth Lajos Street and you can see nice buildings built in romantic style. On the Main Square you can find the famous Gothic parish church with beautiful frescos from the Middle Ages.
If you go on along Kossuth Lajos Street you reach the Balaton Museum. Its exhibitions show the flora and fauna of Lake Balaton and the history of this region.
From the museum you can take a short walk to the coast of the lake. The formation of the lake started 22 000 years ago. It is 78 kilometres long and it is 3 metres deep in average. Its water warms up easily to 25-27 degrees celsius in the summer. Visitors can spend nice days here swimming, yachting, surfing, or playing waterpolo. In winter the lake often freezes over and people can skate or play ice-hockey on it. There are 42 species of fish in the lake so many people like fishing here.
The northern coast of the lake is hilly. You can find some beautiful towns here, like Balatonfüred or Tihany. The southern coast is sandy just like the seaside and it offers cultural programmes, mainly in Siófok.
The wind almost always blows by the lake and storms are not rare, but visitors can take nice walks along the coast in cooler weather, too. There are many restaurants, bars and hotels in the town, which provide means of entertainment for visitors. And, of course, from the town you can go on excursions to the towns and villages in the neighbourhood. You can visit the ruins of Rezi and Tátika castles, Badacsony, Tapolca, Sümeg and Hévíz, too.