CELEBRATIONS

In this picture I can see family holidays. Hungarian families celebrate birthdays at weekends so relatives can come, too. Mothers cook tasty dishes and make a cake which is decorated with candles. We have to blow the candles and wish something. We get some presents for example CDs, DVDs, jewellery or clothes. At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. In the morning of December 24th we set up and decorate the Christmas tree and wrap up the presents. In the evening the whole family comes together for the traditional dinner which includes fish soup, fried fish and walnut and poppy seed rolls. At midnight a lot of families go to church for the midnight service. On Christmas Day relatives visit each other, chat and relax. In England children get their presents on December 25th. Santa Claus comes through the chimney and puts the gifts to stockings which are hanging at the fireplace. The traditional dinner includes stuffed turkey, vegetables and plum pudding. At the beginning of the dinner they pull Christmas crackers which contain a small toy and a joke. They wear a paper hat. On New Year's Eve people go to parties where they eat, drink and dance. At midnight they drink champagne, sing the anthem and listen to the President's speech on television. Then they go to the street to watch the fireworks. At Easter we celebrate the Resurrection. On Sunday children look for the hidden gifts. We eat ham, boiled eggs and roast lamb. On Monday boys visit their girlfriends and sprinkle them with perfume. They get chocolate or painted eggs and chocolate bunnies. Valentine's day is the romantic day of lovers. It is on 14th of February. People send a card to somebody they love but they do not sign it. We have National Holidays, too. 15th March is the day of the War of Independence of 1848-49. On 20th August we celebrate the new bread and the Constitution. 23rd October is the holiday of the Republic and the Revolution of 1956.