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How to have a Hungarian Christmas feast?
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As the holidays are almost here, we would like to give you a full tutorial on how to have a very Hungarian Christmas feast.
If you are thinking about spicing things up this year, let us make a perfectly Hungarian Christmas together, including food and traditions. None of these dishes is too difficult, nor do they require any special talent to prepare, but if you happen to be spending the holidays in Budapest, we have also collected top restaurants from where you can order your menu. Otherwise, let us get to it.
Back in the day, based on Christian traditions, the Christmas feast was preceded by a fast during the Advent period. The fast ended with a midnight mass on Christmas Eve, after which people went home and had a nice family dinner. The meals we used to eat might have changed by now, but the traditional stuffed cabbage, for example, has been with us for a pretty long time.
When you start preparing the dinner table, you will need a nice, Christmas-themed tablecloth. White may not be compatible with the menu.
Starter
A soup is a must-have in Hungary. A popular choice is to have Fisherman’s soup or a rich meat soup with vegetables.
Main course
Besides the already mentioned stuffed cabbage, fish or other types of meat with side dishes and potatoes is also very common to have. Traditionally, pork used to be preferred over chicken as the latter one was thought to take one’s luck away for the upcoming year (this superstition also applies to January 1st). A popular combination is some breaded fish with potato salad that includes boiled potatoes, red onion, and mayonnaise.
Don’t forget that Christmas was a pagan festival celebrating the winter solstice. It was culturally appropriated by Christians for practical reasons just like Easter was also a pagan festival, marking the Spring equinox.
Let’s not forget that Christmas is not originally a christian tradition. It was a pagan celebration marking the end of the winter solstice. Christians culturally appropriated it centuries later. They did the same with Easter which was to mark the Spring Equinox. This religious mumbo jumbo is all nonsense.