| Learn the local customs of Hungary. Tips and photos posted by real travelers and Hungary locals. Map |
 | Hungary Local Customs | Tips 1 - 10 of 109 |  |
 School leavers in a shop
window by GillianMcLaughlin
On my first day, while walking around the centre of Szeged, I was puzzled to notice huge picture frames in the windows of all sorts of businesses around town. In the frames were professional photographs of fresh-faced young people with optimism and achievement written all over their faces. From the little of the text that I could understand (basically the numbers) I surmised that they were groups of students. Not one to walk away from a new discovery, I turned the dinner conversation to these picture frames.
I was reliably informed that this is a tradition that is nation-wide and is organised by the school pupils themselves. The photographic tableaux are put together by final year pupils, and include the photos of their teachers and the dates of their next meeting (normally 5 years hence). It can be quite a stressful experience though as the order of presentation and who features beside whom can be a cause of great debate. The next challenge is to try to get the tableau exhibited in the most prestigious window in the town – usually parents are called on to pull strings.
The timing is an issue that varies from town to town – they go up whenever the school leaving seminars are organised – this could be any time from August to May. They also link their graduation to a leaving ball, during which there is a dance performance that will have been rehearsed for a long time, often with the assistance of a professional choreographer! Leave a Comment
|
 | |  |
Visiting Hungary?
Read reviews about Hungary Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
 Grinzingi bar - a
Budapest local! by GillianMcLaughlin
Up until the 1848 revolutions Hungarians would party like their European cousins. Then, following the defeat of the Hungarians at the hands of the Austrians with a bit of help from their Russian friends, 13 Hungarian generals (who became known as the 13 martyrs) were arrested and jailed. While awaiting their executions they were kept in their place by some rowdy Austrian jail keepers who spent their days drinking copious quantities of beer, preceding each swig with a hearty toast and a clink of their tankards.
Ever since it is deemed to be very impolite to clink beer glasses in Hungary as it recalls that unhappy episode in their history. Never let it be said that VT doesn’t teach you a thing or two! Leave a Comment
|
| | |
 Langos with accompaniments by Skeptic-jr
The paste is fried on the oil, sometimes you can see how it is made (what I recommend you to be sure that both - the oil and then the crumpet - are fresh). It is sold alone, or enriched with cheese, garlic sauce, cream and even ham.
Langoses for sure are not the most healthy kind of food (fat!), but they can be really tasty and without any doubt better than hamburger or other junk-food. Leave a Comment
|
 The horse-team by croisbeautyLeave a Comment
|
what stroke me particularily was that, contrary to what we have in Poland, in Hungary you HAVE TO give tips in restaurants, bars etc.
For them it's something very natural, and at the beginning of my stay I was really confused by that unfriendly look of the waiters any time I payed... heh, luckily one of my Hungarian friends explained me what was that about ;)
you don't have to give much, usually its enough to round the price up, like you pay HUF 1800, and you give then 2000 ;) Leave a Comment
|
Visiting Hungary?
Read reviews about Hungary Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
 Wines from Tokaj region by Skeptic-jr
The most famous are that from cities of Tokaj (tikaji) and Eger (egri bikaver). These from the Balaton region also have a good opinion (Badacsony, Balatonfured) . Sometimes buying a bottle of wine in the department store you can have a problem to recognize what kind of wine it is. All of because of a lack of any other inscriptions than that in Hungarian language. So you'd better remember at least words: edes (sweet), feledes (semi-sweet), szaraz (dry), felszaraz (semi-dry).
The best place to try Hungarian wines are cellars (hung.: Pince) placed in many town and villages. Sometimes you can also buy them direct from the locals.
For more look at that page: click! Leave a Comment
|
 Traditional Hungarian house by croisbeauty
In case of your interest, I suggest you to visit the villages of Holloko and Matyofold in Northern Hungary where you can see remarkably preserved medieval structures. The Holloko was the first village to be included by UNESCO on the World Heritage list of protected sites. Leave a Comment
|
 Try using your hands if the
mouth fails by budapest8
Basic Hungarian Phrases
YES = IGEN eegen
NO = NEM nem
PLEASE = KEREM kayrem
THANK YOU = KOSZONOM kosonom
GOOD MORNING = JO REGGELT KIVANOK yaw reggelt
GOOD AFTERNOON = JO NAPOT KIVANOK yaw noppawt
GOOD NIGHT = JO EJSZAKAT KIVANOK yaw aysokkaht
HELLO / LATER = SZERVUSZ servus / tere
GOOD-BYE = VISZONTLATASRA veesawntlahtahshro
WHAT IS YOUR NAME? = HOGY HIVJAK? hawd heevyaak
MY NAME IS... = ...VAGYOK vodawk
HOW ARE YOU? = HOGY VAN? hawd von
FINE THANKS, AND YOU? = KOSZONOM JOL, ES ON? kosonom yawl, aysh �
I UNDERSTAND. = ERTEM. ayrtem
I DON'T UNDERSTAND. = NEM ERTEM. nem ayrtem
DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH? = BESZEL ANGOLUL? besayl ongawlul
I DON'T SPEAK (MUCH) HUNGARIAN. = NEM TUDOK (JOL) MAGYARUL. nem toodawk (yawl) modorul Leave a Comment
|
This part of my page is dedicatedto one of the most shameful acts of my ex-homecountry USSR. The communist system that it iposed to the Central & Eastern Europe proved to be against people, not "for" them. And it produced a resistance in those countries. One of the strongest was in Hungary.
The uprisal of 1956 was short and violent. And it was suppressed by Soviet tanks. Of course, those days people in USSR were constantly told that somt "contre-revolutionnary" forces in Hungary wanted the Hungarian people to come back to dark ages, etc etc etc... Then this event was simnply "burried". We lesrned about it quite recently. I mean what was really happening there. More than 3 thousand dies.
And now October 23, the day when the upprisal started, is the National holiday. Rather Remembrance day. People go to the Parliament building in Budapest, carrying Hungarian flags,light candels there and near the Terrorhaza (Terror museum) and remember their relatives who participated and died in 1956. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
Sprinkling
The old tradition is shown on the first two pictures.
These photos here show folk costumes that people wear just for special occasions today.
Today women wear casual dresses for sprinkling, not folk costumes.
Also, men sprinkle with cologne, not with water.
A couple of decades ago men poured water on women in rural areas and women
changed their clothes after each sprinkling. Boys often dragged girls to the well and poured
water on them with pail. Sometimes they washed them in creek.
The possible reason for this very old tradition is that people believed
in the cleaning, healing and fertility effect of water.
Sprinkling Easter is a 2-day holiday in Hungary.
On Monday boys and men visit all of their women relatives, friends, neighbors,
often even if they are not close friends. Boys in small groups, fathers with their sons,
or single men leave early in the morning and their "tour" last all day long.
They greet girls and women with shorter - longer poems (mostly with a funny poem about
"Eastern sprinkling") and sprinkle them with cologne. Women must be well-prepared,
they treat men with dessert and beverages - and with hand-painted eggs.
Women usually prepare in the previous days by cleaning up the house thoroughly,
decorating, cooking and painting a couple dozen eggs.
Sprinkling2 There is a competition among young girls - who gets the most "sprinklers" wins.
It is a shame if the girl is not ready early morning when the first visitor rings the bell.
The result? Women wear more then a dozen of different colognes by Monday evening, and
sometimes the alcoholic beverages are harmful for men also.
Many times, sprinkling continues on the next day in the working places and the
women wait the evening desperately to wash their hair. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
|
| Best Hungary Travel Deals |
Lodging Hotel
Up to 50% off Hotels at Expedia. No Expedia change or cancel fees! Local Hotel Review
Read Reviews & Listings for Local New York Hotels at Switchboard. Newark NJ Hotel
Minutes from Manhattan. Save 75% Over NYC Hotels in Downtown Newark! 200 Hotels in Budapest
Book your hotel in Budapest online. Good availability and great rates! Hotel Fees Slashed
Find Great Travel Deals & Discount Hotel Rates at CheapTickets.com! Sponsored Links
More Hungary Travel Deals Hotel Lodging
Low Price Guaranteed on Hotels No Change/Cancel Fees. Book Now! 160 Hotels in Budapest
Online hotels in Budapest. Book now, save up to 75%. 70 Budapest Hotels
Our selection of great hotels in Budapest. Special Offers! Book now. Sponsored Links
|
