Recent research: Hungarians believe these are essential parts of Christmas

Yettel’s national, representative survey* examined what Hungarians believe Christmas is not without. Christmas food (55%) is at the top of the list, followed by celebrating with close family members (49%) and the Christmas tree (48%). Three out of ten people consider decorating their home essential, which is just as essential as having time to relax. In addition, Christmas songs and gifts are also important for a quarter of Hungarians. The results show that while the younger generation finds it more important to maintain the traditions associated with the celebration – such as baking cookies, festive music, shows and the Advent calendar –, for the older generation, being together with family members is more essential.

Perfection also brings tension

The research also showed that when celebrating, most people consider it important that there is no conflict in the family and that they can celebrate in peace and harmony. But what can cause problems in such a situation? While two-thirds of respondents agree that Christmas is humane if everything doesn’t go perfectly, in practice we are most tolerant only when it comes to others. Two-thirds of respondents don’t care about appearances when visiting loved ones, half of respondents expect themselves to give their best at Christmas, and nearly the same number are bothered if something doesn’t go as planned. This can also lead to tension: two-thirds of respondents are annoyed if a family member overdoes it at Christmas, making them nervous and tired, and nearly half of them admitted that their Christmas maximalism often causes arguments.

Perfection is annoying, but we still share it

The pursuit of perfection is also reflected in social media. Compared to last year, more people plan to browse social media during the holiday season, and seven out of ten users share Christmas-themed content at this time. Most posts are made in the days leading up to Christmas, followed by December 25–26, while the period between the two holidays and New Year’s Eve are considered quieter.

However, opinions are divided about the popularity of the posts: half of Hungarians are critical of Christmas posts that portray the celebration as too idyllic. A third feel bad when they see that everything is perfect for others, and almost the same number are specifically irritated by Christmas photos. Almost three quarters of social media users believe that Christmas should be spent with loved ones rather than proving apparent perfection – interestingly, one in three of them is happy to share pictures of successful Christmas moments.

Yettel helps celebrate together with Christmas trees

This Christmas, Yettel is sending a message that instead of chasing perfection, we should spend time celebrating together, both in our homes and in our communities. As part of this, it announced a special competition at the end of November: it provided 100 classes in Hungary with a festive Christmas tree and its delivery, so that the students only had to wait for the joint decoration.

The success of the charitable campaign is indicated by the fact that the number of places advertised was filled in just one day. Applications came from all over the country, from a total of 13 counties. The company also launched a competition in which it encourages participating classes to decorate the tree together with their own ideas: it can be handmade ornaments, creatively used old phones or any unique solution. The emphasis is not on the perfect end result, but on the imagination, the time spent together and the experience. Classes can also compete for valuable prizes with photos of decorated trees. Reactions to the photos will be posted on Yettel’s Facebook page between December 11 and December 19.

*The research was conducted by surveying 1,000 people between October 15 and October 27, 2025. The sample is representative of the Hungarian population aged 18-69 by gender, age, region and settlement type (Impetus research).