Hello there, it’s Liz. And welcome back to The Hungarian Living Podcast.
It’s officially Advent and that means we are headed into the Christmas season, and I wanted to bring back one of my favorite episodes about a tradition that’s really special to me – Mikulás, or St. Nicholas Day, which is December 6th.
For kids growing up in Hungary as well as other European countries, the evening of December 5th is always exciting.
I remember when we were living in Budapest in 1973. I was 8 years old and It’s my first memory of Mikulas nap. I shined my shoes, put them outside our apartment door, and found some fun little treats in my shoes in the morning. I really don’t recall doing this again once we were back in the U.S.. And I thought this would be a fun thing to do when our kids were younger but I wasn’t consistent about it. But, our grandkids are now at the perfect age to start this tradition. And this year, we plan to!
What I love about Mikulás is that you can be 5 or 15 or 25! It’s simple. You shine some shoes, you put them in the window, and the next morning there’s a little magic waiting.
If you’ve never celebrated Mikulás before, this year is a great time to start. Or if you did it as a kid and stopped, maybe this is your invitation to bring it back – even if it’s just for yourself, or to share with nieces and nephews.
Oh, and that music you just heard? That’s my brother’s recording of a traditional Hungarian Christmas carol. A little family tradition making its way into the podcast. And available for download at TheHungarianStire.com
Here’s the episode:
We are talking about Mikulás on the podcast today! Are you ready for his visit?
So, before I get too much flack for today’s topic, I want to explain a little something. A few years ago we hosted a Christmas market tour to Hungary. It was a lot of fun, of course. But what I noticed the most was that the time leading up to Christmas was not commercialized the way we see it in the United States. There were advent wreaths all around – some huge and in the center of the town. Decorating windows for Christmas was quite a thing in the shops of villages and also all around Budapest. There is a countdown to Christmas, but it felt like a wonderful anticipation, not a big rush to gear up for intense purchasing and Santa all over town. It was quite refreshing!
So, while Christmas is about Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Hungary, in the US we have Christmas kinds of things happening just after Thanksgiving. For the record, Hungarians don’t typically put their tree up until December 24th. And that tradition is very different than ours in the US.
Let’s start by celebrating Mikulas nap or St. Nicholas Day
December 6th is the name day of Miklós, and children especially love this day because for them it is Mikulás Nap. The Hungarian Santa, called Mikulás, visits children on December 6th, St. Nicholas Day. Children shine their shoes or boots then put them in the windowsill on the evening of December 5th. If the child has been good, Mikulás visits in the early morning hours and fills the boot with goodies – traditionally candies, tangerines, walnuts, apples, dates, and chocolate Mikulás figures. Many children also receive small toys and books. If the child has been a little bad, the boot will contain a bundle of twigs (like a “switch”). If the child has been very naughty, they get lumps of coal or potatoes. Since no child is all good or all bad, most get the switch and the treat. There is no Mrs. Santa in Hungary, but Mikulás often travels with one or two small evil goblins, called krampusz.
You can start a fun tradition with Mikulás this year! You can adapt and celebrate however it works in your family. If you don’t live near the ones you love you can always send a Mikulás package with fun little treats!
Enjoy the season and enjoy celebrating with Hungarian style! We have all sorts of gift ideas at TheHungarianStore.com
So there you have it – Mikulás Day, December 6th.
You know, one thing I didn’t mention in that original episode is how much fun this tradition is when you’re an adult. You don’t have to have kids to celebrate. You can put your own boots out. You can surprise a friend or neighbor. You can send a Mikulás package to someone far away who grew up with this tradition and might appreciate the reminder of home.
The point is, these traditions don’t have to be complicated to be meaningful. Shine some shoes. Find some special treats. Keep the story alive.
If you do celebrate Mikulás this year – whether it’s your first time or your fiftieth – I’d love to hear about it. Send me an email at [email protected] and tell me how it went.
And of course, you can find Hungarian treats and gift ideas at TheHungarianStore.com – we’ve got all sorts of things that would be perfect for under the tree.
Until next time, boldog névnapot to all the Miklós-es out there on December 6th, and happy celebrating!
