Read about the origin, history and celebration of Easter (Húsvét) in Hungary.
Fundoo Times: Festivals: Easter: Easter in Hungary

Easter in Hungary

Origin and History of Easter in Hungary

Hungary is a small but beautiful country in central Europe. This country is one of the few European countries that follow the Eastern Orthodox Church for its holy rituals and norms. Easter, being the most important festival of Eastern Orthodox Church, is celebrated with religious fervor and jauntiness. It is a two-day holiday in Hungary during which many cultural events and special services are organized in the holy church. The occasion marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ, three days after His crucifixion on Good Friday. This is the day when the Hungarians break their long fast of Lent which is considered holy for Easter. During Lent, people abstain from consuming meat. For this reason, meat abandoning Tuesday called húshagyó kedd is observed. It falls a day before Ash Wednesday. On holy Easter Saturday (Nagyszombat), people gather in the church and take part in the resurrection ceremonies at night, after which they take out a procession carrying Christ’s Statue, chanting religious hymns. Many people follow modern customs and rituals, while others prefer to stick to older traditions being followed since prehistoric pagan time.

Local name: Húsvét

Ways to celeberate Húsvét in Hungary

Hungarian Easter celebrations are one of the most remarkable celebrations to witness in the whole of Europe. Easter is known as Húsvét in Hungary which literally means ‘taking of the meat’, bringing an end to the Great Lent fasting period. The two main traditions of Hungarian Easter make it distinct from other countries. One is painting eggs in different traditional patterns and colors, while the other is ‘sprinkling’, also known as Ducking Monday or Easter Monday. On Easter Monday, young men pour buckets of water over young women's heads, or spray perfume, cologne or just plain water, and ask for a kiss and a red egg in return. This historic tradition relates to cleaning, healing, and fertility effects of water. Since then, it is followed, though it is most prominent only in villages and small towns. People wear monster masks and carry out a unique procession in the Mohacs district. The grand traditional Hungarian Easter feast includes luscious delicacies made from different meats, like pork, poultry, lamb, rabbit, etc.