The multiple Hungarian culture

If you are interested in Hungarian culture this is the right place for you. My goal with this section of our website is to give you an overall picture of the culture of Hungary.

I'll try to be short and simple and avoid boring you with encyclopedia style writings. So, if you are looking for an academy style study about Hungarian culture, unfortunately this won't be what you're looking for.

But, if you want to quickly pick up some knowledge about the culture of my country please don't go anywhere else!

I think you already have an idea about Hungary and Hungarian culture. Maybe you have heard something about the famous hospitality of the Hungarian people and its strange langue or you have listened Hungarian music or you have Herend porcelain at home. These are all integral parts of our culture and a lot more, which I would like to show you soon.

In order to give you a full picture of our nation and its culture I cannot bypass the history of Hungary. Since the history is also an essential part of the Hungarian culture, I will present you a short summary here, just limited to the most important dates. Don't be afraid I will try to be as short as possible.

Of course you can bypass the historical summary, if you are not interested. I think the following about the Hungarian nation can also provide you with enough understating about our roots.

Let's start with the introduction of:

Hungary and the Hungarians as everybody knows us today were two quite different entities at one time. The land, a large and fertile plain defended in the east and north by the Carpathians and in the west by natural obstacles - swamps, rivers and the foothills of the Alps - served as a haven to tribes before our elders came sweeping through in 896 and made this land our home.

Hungary's subsequent history is relatively short but complex. Survival as an independent nation at the intersection of Western and Easter Europe and the Balkans was very difficult, which required a cunning foreign policy. Unfortunately not all Hungarian leaders were able to provide it.

St. Stephen King

Hungary became a kingdom in 1001 thanks to our first king, St. Stephen. After this date Hungary acted as a bastion for Western Europe, only to be left to its own devices when the going got rough. The Hungarian nation was sundered from within by internecine struggles between powerful magnates, nobles, tyrants, monarchs and a galaxy of fine political leaders.

Hungary's fortunes have waxed and waned with the tides of history. Sometimes our country exhibited boundless wealth, which was then coveted by others. Under the Angevin King Lajos I, the Hungarian realm stretched from the Adriatic to the Black Sea and almost to the Baltic in the north.

These times were followed by the domination of the Turks, Habsburgs, Nazis and communists; all hopes of independence were mercilessly crushed by them. In the aftermath of World War I, two-thirds of Hungarian territory was carved up and handed out to Romania, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, and one fifth of the Hungarian population went with the land. Our country is the only one on the planet whose neighbors are coming from its own nation. These tragic events forced lots of Hungarians from their homes; today some 30 percent of Hungarians live outside Hungary.

Thanks perhaps to our turbulent and often painful history, we Hungarians tend to have a melancholy streak, but we are very friendly and hospitable people.

The visitor traveling the country will also notice the ubiquity of the Hungarian colors: red, white and green (piros, fehér, zöld).

Patriotism here often takes the form of venerating, celebrating or commemorating one of Hungary's many tragedies. The Hungarian people are incurable romantics, confronting their enemies when the odds seem hopeless and earning acclaim for our many gallant defeats.[1]

I hope after this short summary about our nation, you are curious to see what those famous things are which best represent our culture.

So here come the links, which will guide you through on the essence of the Hungarian culture. Please check these small articles; when you are finished I can guarantee that you will be a real cultural expert on Hungary.

Hungarian language
I'm quite sure that you have heard that the Hungarian language is very strange and difficult to learn. If you want to know why it is so and/or you would like to learn some useful words, which can help you during your visit to Hungary, please don't miss this page.

Hungarian embroideries
If you have ever been in Hungary I'm sure that you have seen the nice collection of hand made embroideries in the tourist shops or in the Airport shop. Here you can find lots of interesting information about Hungarian embroideries like the history of embroidery and embroidery techniques.

Herend porcelain
Please visit this page and you will be guided through the magic world of porcelain making.

Back to the top of this Hungarian Culture page

Back to the Home page of Best-Things-in-Hungary.com