I suspect there are many aging Hungarian speakers in the US either homebound, in an assisted living facility or in a nursing home. If you love to sing, get a few people together who also enjoy singing (they don’t even have to be Hungarian) and learn a few Hungarian Christmas carols this Christmas season for people who might truly appreciate them.

Several years ago our Hungarian instructor asked if we would be willing to go Christmas caroling for an elderly Hungarian woman who lives in a nursing home in our community and speaks very limited English. We were invited to sing a few Christmas carols to the residents the next year and we passed out some Hungarian Christmas candy (szaloncukor), too! This sweet woman lived in our community to be near family, but they didn’t speak Hungarian. She is in OK physical health but had Alzheimer’s. It was a great opportunity to practice singing Hungarian Christmas carols, but also share something special for someone who infrequently hears her native language.

It was amazing to hear this precious woman sing along all of the verses of every song we sang from memory!

Here are the Hungarian Christmas Carols we sang and I would recommend you start off with:

Mennyből az Angyal

Dicsőség

Pásztorok, Pásztorok

and Csendes éj (Silent Night)

We have sheet music for Hungarian Christmas carols — you can purchase them HERE. We also carry several Hungarian Christmas cards with Hungarian Christmas carols HERE.