Hungarian traditions on All Souls’ Day

In the Christian religion, All Souls’ Day commemorates the souls of Christians who have died. After Halloween and All Saints’ Day, this is the third most significant event at the end of October and the beginning of November. All Souls’ Day is celebrated on November 2nd every year. In Hungary, the day slowly became a general commemoration of the deceased, independent from religious beliefs. This is the day when we light candles and take some time to think about our loved ones who are not with us anymore, but there are several other traditions as well. 

In the evening of All Souls’ Day, before the Sun rises, it is believed that the dead souls gather together in a church for a mass. After the tolling, they walk to their relatives’ house. The members of the household put another plate on the table with bread, salt and water. In Transylvania and Szeged people bake traditional Hungarian loaf of bread, which is called God’s or the dead’s bread.

Many beggers and poor people are welcomed and given with food at several households on this day. In some regions, and Hungarian villages in the country and on abroad, families put some food on their relatives’ grave as well (e.g. in Topolya, which is a Hungarian populated village in Serbia). In Ipolyhídvég (Hungarian populated village in Slovakia) family members and relatives eat lunch together before visiting the cemetery and light some candles.