Bejgli in the basket: exploring Hungarian Christmas traditions

By: Trademagazin editor Date: 2025. 08. 26. 08:01

In our representative online survey of 1,000 people, we sought to find out how Hungarians celebrate Christmas, what they spend the most on and when they start preparing for the holiday.

This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2025/8-9.

Guest writer:
Emma Lászlóffy
junior research associate
NMS Hungary

At Christmas more than two-thirds of people don’t travel. Many people can’t imagine Christmas without an evergreen pine tree. Our research shows that 84% put up a Christmas tree and 59% buy a tree every year. Artificial trees are becoming increasingly popular, with more than half of people preferring them. Two-thirds of those surveyed decorate their homes for Christmas. However, only about half of respondents spend up to HUF 10,000 on new decorations. One-third of people don’t spend any money on new Christmas decorations, and of those who do the vast majority spend a maximum of HUF 5,000.

Top 3 dishes: bejgli, stuffed cabbage and fish soup

In Hungary the most popular Christmas dishes are poppy seed and walnut rolls (bejgli) (69%), stuffed cabbage (63%) and fish soup (46%). 40% of those surveyed buy ready-made versions of the dishes listed above and 27% don’t bother to make bejgli at home. Rising food prices are a daily problem for many people. Compared to last year 60% of people haven’t changed the amount of food they cook and a third cook less. 37% of respondents spend between HUF 10,000 and 29,000 on their Christmas menu, while 24% spend between HUF 39,000 and 49,000. 82% of respondents give gifts: every second person usually orders gifts online and about the same proportion buy them in shopping malls. Larger grocery stores and hypermarkets are also popular (38%).

Preparations begin in the autumn

Many people start buying Christmas gifts before decorating and putting up the tree. Most people begin in the autumn, at the end of October-November (38%) or in early December (27%). Older people tend to start earlier, while younger consumers are more inclined to procrastinate. 81% of those surveyed give gifts to children and 65% to their family members or partner. The proportion of those who buy gifts for their pets is surprisingly high at 18%. Christmas is one of our favourite and most prepared-for holidays. Although more than half of respondents haven’t really changed their Christmas customs in the last 1-2 years, minor changes and shifts can be observed every year. Traditions remain important, but we are constantly adapting them and this also influences our consumer behaviour – mainly to make the Christmas season easier and more comfortable.