{Our} Home for the Holidays: Christmas in Hungary

Hi, friends!  I hope you've been enjoying the {Our} Home for the Holidays series so far!  I think it's been such fun "visiting" each other and learning about special traditions, crafts, and gift ideas!
Our guest today, Jane, lives in Hungary and has some fun things to share about how she and her family celebrate the holiday there...

Thanks so much to Amy for inviting me to participate in the {Our} Home for the Holidays series! I'm so flattered to be included in this group of amazing bloggers! My name's Jane and I blog over at Mama Pea Pod about making the most of my time with my two little peas, aged 4 and 1, while they're still young enough to want to spend this time with me. We often do this through play outdoors (I invite you to come join our Outdoor Play Party on Fridays), through arts and crafts for kids, through sensory play, and through open-ended play. Why not come over for a playdate with us?

In Hungary, on December 5th, children polish their boots to a gleaming shine and set them on the windowsill, eagerly anticipating what morning will bring. December 6 is "Mikulás nap" - Saint Nicholas' Day. Mikulás is traditionally a bishop dressed in red robes, but modern Mikulás generally looks more like the western Santa Claus. He comes to visit children and remind them of their good and bad deeds of the past year. He brings with him two helpers, an angel-like helper who helps distribute chocolate and small gifts or books for those who have been good, and a naughty impish helper called Krampusz, who leaves a switch of gold twigs to those who have been naughty (to suggest that they are due for a spanking!) Since nobody is all good or all bad, children usually get both the gifts and the gold switch. (On December 24th, the Hungarian tradition is for Baby Jesus to visit and bring presents and a decorated Christmas tree in the evening after dinner.) In our multinational, expat family, we celebrate the holiday with a mix of traditions, so Mikulás visits on December 6th and brings chocolate (and the switch!), and Santa Claus comes on December 24th with presents. Do you have any special cultural traditions for the holidays in your family? I'd love to hear from you! You can leave me a comment on facebook, twitter, or below. Happy holidays to you, however you celebrate!