Hungary: where the Christmas tree is said to be flown in by angels
Mothers all over the world will attest to the terrible stress they are under at Christmas in order to make it a happy occasion, but Hungarian mothers are under particular pressure because they have to single-handedly whip up a miracle on Christmas Eve, which is also a working day. Off from work earlier than usual, they start cooking the traditional Christmas fare of wine soup, fish fried in bread crumbs and potato salad, while a special pastry, which is eaten only at Christmas and Easter, is baked a few days earlier.
Usually it is also the mothers who decorate the house. The Christmas tree, which according to folklore is flown in through an open window by angels, is decorated with shiny glass balls and chocolate delicacies wrapped in golden paper. They then wrap the gifts and place them under the tree. Fathers usually take the children out for a walk, a snow ball fight - for it is almost always a white Christmas - or a hot chocolate so that they don't notice the preparations, and giving of gift retains its mystery for them.
Habits change, but traditionally meat was forbidden before the midnight mass, hence the fish dinner washed down with good wine. After that a little bell rings somewhere outside, signifying that the angels have finished decorating the home and the family can go inside. The family sing a few Christmas songs, exchange goodwill greetings and then the children unwrap the gifts and play until late.
The prelude to this is December6, when the Hungarian version of Santa Claus, Mikulas, visits children on the evening of Saint Nicholas' day. He comes with little devil children dressed up in black with tails and little red horns and puts red cellophane bags full of chocolate, nuts and fruit in the windows of those children who were good during the year. On Christmas Day, the season of goodwill extends to friends and those who have no families to celebrate with are invited to join those who do. Our family always invited a friend whose relations lived in Argentina and the US, and she came with gifts and stories unimaginable to those stuck in the time of a communist country without hope of even a passport.
Tired of cooking, and even of eating, the following day is usually spent resting or visiting family members.