Christmas Tram in Budapest

From 9 December 2011 to 6 January 2012 - except 24 and 31 December - the renovated heritage Ganz UV tram appears again. You can travel by the tram dressed in tens of thousands of Christmas LEDs on the line of 2A between Jaszai Mari ter and Boraros ter from Thursday to Sunday, From Monday to Wednesday, on the line of 61K between Móricz Zsigmond korter and Széll Kálmán tér. The tram can be used with a valid regular ticket.

Timetable:

Christmas Traditions in Hungary

Some Hungarian Christmas Traditions

 

Christmas Candy - Szaloncukor

At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in Hungary. The main celebration is on Christmas Eve (it's Szenteste in Hungarian, meaning Holy Night) Familiy members get together in the afternoon on 24th December and decorate the Christmas tree. Grandparents or elder brothers and sisiters look after the little ones, so they won't see their presents placed under the tree.



Beigli

The fragrant fir is adorned with colourful paper decorations and a special Hungarian Christmas candy (szaloncukor) wrapped in shinny coloured papers.

Housewives cook traditional Hungarian Chrismas dishes in the kitchen. We usually have fish soup, stuffed cabbage, pastry rolls stuffed with poppy seed, walnut or chestnut stuffings (it's called bejgli in Hungarian) and makosguba (another pastry with poppy).

Family members exchange gifts in the evening on 24th December while listening to tradtitional Christmas songs. In Hungary baby Jesus brings the presents and sometimes the angels, not Santa. We celebrate the arrival of Santa on 6th December, St. Nicholas Day.



Stuffed cabbage



At midnight a lot of people go to the midnight mass. Organ music and pine scent fill the air in churches where people sing together classical Christmas songs.

Even non-religious people attend this mass beacuse of its festive and uplifting atmosphere. On the following two days relatives and friends visit it each other have traditional Christmas dishes and desserts.



Opening time, public transport and weather around Christmas in Hungary

Christmas Tree

Essential information about opening hours, public transport and weather at Christmas time in Hungary.

Opening Hours at Christmas in Budapest

Shops are open till evening the last three weekends before Christmas. Shops close around early afternoon on 24th December and open only on 27th December. Some larger shopping malls might stay open until early evening on 24th December. On Christmas Day and Boxing Day the most of shops, supermarkets are closed in Hungary. Many shops do not open between Christmas and New Year's Eve.
Life gets back to normal after 1st January.

Restaurants are also closed on Christmas Eve (24th Decemeber), but most of them open on 25th-26th December. Several good restaurants open during Christmas.

Public Transport at Christmas in Budapest

Public transport vehicles run until around 15.00-16.00. After 16.00 night services carry passangers. On 25th-26th December vehicles run according to holiday schedule. Between 27th and 1st January, vehicles run less frequently than they do on usual weekdays. It's also holiday at schools, all public transport vehicles run according to schedules valid during school holidays.


Weather Around Christmas in Budapest


Several years ago there was always thick snow around Christmas. The first snowflakes fell usually at the end of November. The temperatures were around zero or below. Today it is hard to tell what will be the weather like around Christmas. The weather around Christmas is sometimes rather mild and dull, with some rain, and it's crispy and sunny with crystal blue sky at times. Last two years there was a little snow during Christmas holiday.

Programs at Christmas in Budapest

The world famous 100-member Gypsy Orchestra performs a concert on 30th December, at 6 pm in teh Budapest Congress Centre. They'll play both clasical and traditional folk music.



The whole city calms down for a couple of days. You can only hear the sound of Christmas concerts and Advent songs in Budapest's churches. After the hectic shopping it's a real realxation to listen to the organ works and contemplate about the meaning of Advent and Christmas. I recommend the Lights of Christmas Festival in Matthias Church on Castle Hill.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Fair in Budapest

Each year from the end of November to 24 December the traditional Christmas fair is organized in one of the finest central area of Budapest, in Vörösmarty Square. It is one of the finest event held out of the tourist season in Europe.

There is number of musical and cultural events during the fair. In the shop window of the Gerbeaud Café a special Advent Calendar can be seen with the works of 24 contemporary artists every day. You can buy only natural materials, handcrafted gifts, the quality and origin are checked buy a jury.

The Budapest Christmas market is a favorite of not only locals but also visitors, because very few tourists  miss out the Vörösmarty square. The freshly baked cakes, mulled wine, fried dough and the delicious smell of homemad dishes call the visitors eating or looking around from a long distance.

People interested in culture can find performances of classical music, Hungarian folk music and dance, children concerts in the northern part of the square.

In 2011 the christmas fair is open from 18th November to 30th December.

We have a Christmas Market Walking Tour from 24 November to 30 December on every Wednesday to Sunday. You can hear about the christmas traditions in Hungary, visit two christmas market places in Budapest, and you can taste wine and mull wine. The tour takes 2,5 hours. The price is 18 EUR/person. More information and booking: Chrismtas Market Tour Budapest

Christmas and New Year in Budapest

I often have to visit Budapest. Here is my favourite time of year.

I looked out of the window on an early morning in December; it could have been July. The sun was shining and there was not a cloud in the sky. The apartment was warm and cosy and after a refreshing shower and dressing in my winter clothes, stepped outside without coat, gloves or scarf. Oh my, the cold took my breath away; I hurried back inside, collecting my warm outdoor clothing, but without a hat. I made my way to the Oktogon, by metro and very quickly found my way to the most charming hat shop, tucked away inside one of the many apartment courtyards in Jokai Ter. My head was throbbing with the cold, so after paying just a couple of pounds for a woollen hat that covered all but my face, left feeling comfortably warm, despite the minus freezing temperature.

Spending time in Budapest during the winter months is a wonderful experience, especially, before or during Christmas and the New Year. It is bitter cold but dry, crisp and sunny. I have been to Budapest many times, but never had so many wonderful experiences as staying there during Christmas and New Year. During this trip, which lasted three weeks, every day was as interesting and exciting as the day before. A trip to the Szechenyi Spa baths behind the Hero Square Statues bore no similarity to the one I had taken during the summer. From the Hot, Deep, Outside, Spa, people were barely visible, as the steam must have risen at least 4 meters in to the air. Outside of the pool the temperature was minus 16 degrees and the only unbearable part of this wonderful experience was leaving. All done up in my winter clothes, including hat, I made my back past Hero Square Statues, standing on the opposite side of the road; I could hardly believe my eyes. All around the statues were millions of tiny exploding stars, it was an amazing site. I learned later that I had witnessed a rare phenomenon, when the Heat from the Szechenyi Spa and the Cold from the Ice Skating Lake, both situated behind the statues, come together and crystallise before your very eyes.
During the winter they freeze over the lake and from tiniest novice to the largest experienced skater, anyone can enjoy the experience of skating in the open air. I however, did not, and decided to stick with the Spa Baths.

One evening I made my way to Vaci street. As I headed for the yellow metro, it began to snow, large fluffy flakes, like I had not seen since a child. Coming out of the station at Vorosmarty Ter, was just extraordinary. A gypsy band was playing and their sounds resonated throughout the square. People were sitting outside restaurants, sipping hot toddies and all around the square, local people were selling their goods from open front, log cabins, hand made items, which were absolutely exquisite. Leather goods, wooden carved statues, wooden toys, glass ware, gold and silver jewellery, to name just a few. Beautiful Christmas Decorations made with tiny white lights were hanging from everywhere, whilst the aroma of delicious food filled the air. There would not have been a single person on that square stating that they do not feel very Christmassy this year.

My most memorable occasion was an invitation to the Castle, to join the Opera singers, who were performing at the famous Opera House on Andrassy during Christmas and the New Year. We were to sample the famous Hungarian Tokai wines. Catching a taxi from Pest to the Buda Castle would have taken no time at all and the driver would take the quickest route. It was snowing and knowing that the Hotels, buildings and bridges on the Pest side of the River Danube, were highly decorated, decided to go by bus. Catching it at Deak Ter, we went across the river and started to wind our way up to the castle. The view was breathtaking. No words can explain the beauty of the Christmas lights along that stretch of river, you will have to go and see it for yourself.

Helen Hunt http://www.BudArpads.com http://www.Hiverealestate.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Helen_Hunt