The holiday season in Hungary

Priscilla wrote:

What about you?

I put up some decorations,



some lights,



and make myself some eggnog.

I know the holidays are not all about me but... I don't even think about them until after my Dec. birthday.
All my life Xmas and the holidays overshadowed my bd.
Everyone was out for school vacation and not around to come to my party!
Boo hoo, poor me...
In HU I know most people take weeks off from work, people visit family and friends and eat and drink themselves sick.
Fish soup is a traditional meal before Christmas day, think it is the night before dinner? Not sure.
Most kids in HU have old Saint Nick visit them days before the 25th. They get presents from family on Xmas eve, open in the evening before bedtime.
Not sure if it is better to open as a child before going to bed or trying to stay up all night to catch a peek at Satna.
Many Hungarians eat stuffed cabbage on Christmas in place of a goose or duck or ham dinner.
We are staying in HU this holiday, went to visit the family in the US last year, our son and his Japanese wife.
Wasn't a big deal to be with them after all, she doesn't know about these "Christian" holidays, in Japan Xmas is a day where many people either eat at KFC or have Italian food?
My son's old GF from Japan loved the holiday lights so much that they hung them on the walls for a couple of years without taking them down, made for a nice night lite at least.
We are against the commercial  aspects of Christmas and usually never buy presents. Used to spend a ton when my family was living and our son was young. I hate to think of people going into debt because of not wanting to disappoint someone.
Guess you can say I am a Humbug but I actually love cooking a big holiday meal and yes having a few drinks as well.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Most kids in HU have old Saint Nick visit them days before the 25th.

Yep. On Saint Nicholas Day.

St. Nick, Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, all embodiments of the same character.

But of course, when the holiday season happens depends on one's culture and practices. For example, Christmas on December 25 using the older Julian calendar currently corresponds to January 7 in the Gregorian calendar. So in a nod to be ecumenical, I like to leave my decorations up past January 7th. Which is also somewhat simply a good excuse for myself. Like your son's wife, I just like the way they look and hate to take them down. 

I love the IDEA of Christmas but sometimes reality bites!
Maybe still having Xmas lights indoors in June and eating KFC or better yet some Italian pasta is the way to go for the holidays.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

...Everyone was out for school vacation and not around to come to my party!
.....Wasn't a big deal to be with them after all, she doesn't know about these "Christian" holidays...My son's old GF from Japan loved the holiday lights so much that they hung them on the walls for a couple of years without taking them down, made for a nice night lite at least.... love cooking a big holiday meal and yes having a few drinks as well.

My birthday is in the summer and no-one was around for my birthday as well but I've got quite used to it now.  It's worse working on your birthday as I did this year.  I would have liked to have been at home with Mrs Fluffy and the cheeky monkeys.

I travel to SE Asia a great deal and I can tell you Xmas is in full swing there.  The shopping malls are decked out, the hampers are there,  the baubles are on the tree, the flashing lights abound, Santa is everywhere including in his grotto and most bizarrely, it's all Xmas songs on the PA.  Except they are Bhuddists. Hey, what the hell, it's an excuse for some fun and definitely a slightly odd retail experience.

I like Xmas lights - I always leave mine up too. I only turned them off about 4 months ago  - from last Xmas - and I only did that as I wanted to plug something else in.  One can never have enough Xmas lights available, preferably coloured and sparkling and in a snowy garden.

One thing surprises me in HU.  A personal gripe.  No-one tends to have coloured lights.  They are all white (at least in my experience).  I had to bring mine from England.

We used to have some colored Xmas lights from my MIL, she had them on the dimmer of her overhead light.
Not sure where she picked those up here in HU.
Yes, my son's ex said in Japan they love to eat at KFC or have Italian food on Xmas.
He bought her a Xmas tree and it was up in the house for so long, I was afraid it would catch on fire, she couldn't get enough of the tree and lights.
Last year at their house the 25th was just like any other day except we cooked a big meal. My DIL still did her thing like any other day , think we found ourselves in the Palms casino playing video poker!
The strangest experience was my first Xmas in Hawaii. Santa on a surfboard.
The thing I always disliked about having a holiday BD was my mom always used to say, we would of done more for your BD but Santa is coming soon and he will bring you something.Right....

fluffy2560 wrote:

No-one tends to have coloured lights.  They are all white (at least in my experience).

The colored lights in the photo above I bought in Hungary a few years ago. In fact, when I bought those I wanted white lights, but there were none to be found anywhere. As is typical here, everything seems to happen in extremes. For a while, I found it impossible here to buy white lights, now there only seems to be white lights.

Even so, there are still some places to get colored lights. Here are some colored lights at Obi:

https://www.obi.hu/kuelteri-fenyfuezere … /p/3264512

klsallee wrote:

....Even so, there are still some places to get colored lights. Here are some coloured lights at Obi:

https://www.obi.hu/kuelteri-fenyfuezere … /p/3264512

Finally they've seen the light.

One thing that is really nice about Hungary are the seasonal lights in Budapest and in the center of my nearest village and in the nearest town they have done a beautiful job of the lights. Sometimes I just take a walk around the city squares just to look at them. There is also a light show on the river, a lit up tram and the endless Xmas markets.
I prefer to go and spend a few days with my family over the main holiday. Last year I went to my nearest village bar for new years eve and the celebrations went on until the early hours. At that point we were taken to one of the family houses and were walked around to other family houses where the celebrations went on. Wonderful hospitality.

Mrs Fluffy and the FluffyBunnies were at the Xmas market by public transport at the weekend (I was working).  They reported massive crowds and insane rip-off pricing - 4000 HUF for a small bag of treats not worth more than 300 HUF.  Shocking really but the lights looked good for sure.

Mr. fluffy, this is exactly the reason my husband is close to a total ban of Xmas, the commercial aspects are just sickening.
Almost makes my hubby long for the pre 1989 Hungary where many of these rip off "artists" would find themselves in a reeducation camp! Nothing wrong with making a few bucks for your work but these vendors have lost the D** minds!
I can make a pot of spiced hot wine for a faction of a tiny cup given for hundreds of forints.
I learned a few years back to do a BYO whenever we do any public thing if I feel I may get thirsty or hungry. I always pack a snack and bring a few cans/bottles with me.
We now make sure we eat something before we ever venture to these "holiday celebrations" because the smells may tempt us to over spend on nothing.
I do not wish to buy a rip off artist a home on Balaton, not going to happen if I have anything to do with it.
6 months to life is what I would love to give them!
Oops... I may of gotten too political once again.
we could afford those rip off prices but why? Why would we waste as locals?
These insane price hikes are for tourists and the mega wealthy.
I seem to always take the side of the working man/ women.
Christmas is for children and families, the average working class Hungarian simply can not afford to take their children out on the weekend.
Maybe I am just getting on in years and do not know about the over inflated prices?
I remember when gas/petrol was 29. cents a gallon in the US.
Bread in Hungary was 3 forints and a ride on the tram was 5 forints.

I tend to look and not buy at the Xmas markets.  I have never been over keen on trashy souvenirs.  All the supermarkets are open until late in town and their sweets and treats are just as good.
I have already got a house full of junk,  hats and scarves and my younger family members are very specific about what they want too.
We had a really good fruit season this year and I am taking over to the uk lots of jars of jam,  marmalade sauces and chutney.  I've also made walnut cake and chocolate and orange loaf.
I cook low sugar cakes and really can't eat very much of the hungarian treats but I am sure they are lovely.
People appreciate home made food and it also means if we have any unexpected visitors we have an instant gift for them. Years  ago people were very happy with whatever they got.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

......
we could afford those rip off prices but why? Why would we waste as locals?
These insane price hikes are for tourists and the mega wealthy.
....
Christmas is for children and families, the average working class Hungarian simply can not afford to take their children out on the weekend.
Maybe I am just getting on in years and do not know about the over inflated prices?
I remember when gas/petrol was 29. cents a gallon in the US.
Bread in Hungary was 3 forints and a ride on the tram was 5 forints.

Anyone who would pay stupid money for anything needs their head examined - Xmas or otherwise.

Personally I wouldn't go in for too much nostalgia because things are generally better than they were way back when.  That's even if things supposedly cost more (inflation changes the numbers but adjusted for that, they are nett cheaper or better value).   Who can "live" without the Internet?  Modern medicine?  Air travel?

When I was a kid in the 1960s, we were promised flying cars. I am still waiting for one of those in my Xmas stockings.  The pace of change is beginning to looks slow to me but overall time is going faster.    But I digress.  I wouldn't mind a Balaton house under the tree this year but it's for the Fluffyettes really.   Nearly everything is about the Fluffyettes.

Mrs Fluffy and I have stopped giving presents to each other now - I've got everything I need but not everything I want but some things may never be available - I am still waiting for that blinking flying car.

You can always buy yourself a kit plane or helicopter kit.
Just pray it is in good working order.
My husband watches those clips on the internet about people who build and fly their own homemade planes and such.
He once took up hang gliding here in HU. Made it through 3 lessons until the wind came up from nowhere, his instructor should never of taken this novice group out on such a windy day. Husband just caught some unexpected wind , went straight up and then crashed into a rose bush, that was his last lesson!
It is true products such as breads and sweets actually did taste better many years ago.
My husband's mom actually owned her own dairy store on Vaci Utca way back in pre war Budapest. After the war she was the "manager" for several years until she had enough of it and got another job.( 22 years old and a business women in Hungary, she was ahead of her time)
Hubby used to sit outside the shop on a wooden box eating a roll with butter, he said the butter from her shop( or former shop) was so creamy that it was the best thing he ever ate.
I love to hear about the old ways in HU. Not many people could imagine Vaci Utca being a street with cars going both ways, or the tram going down from the river to keliti station, tress, large trees lining all the streets as well.
Would of been interesting to see all this tourist trap streets back in the day when they were frequented by the locals and not all geared for the fast buck.
I saw a bit of the old HU in 1978, many of the old shops are now long gone, even I miss those funky little places, now turned into such shops as Starbucks or Subway, just sad.
I sometimes think a time machine would be allot more fun the having a personal jet pack.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

You can always buy yourself a kit plane or helicopter kit.
Just pray it is in good working order.
My husband watches those clips on the internet about people who build and fly their own homemade planes and such.
He once took up hang gliding here in HU. Made it through 3 lessons until the wind came up from nowhere, his instructor should never of taken this novice group out on such a windy day. Husband just caught some unexpected wind , went straight up and then crashed into a rose bush, that was his last lesson!...I sometimes think a time machine would be allot more fun the having a personal jet pack.

How about this: Electric Personal Flying Car

It's a start!

Nice personal plane, a bit "rich" for Santa though....
Our district sent someone door to door last night to give everyone a Xmas gift from our mayor.
Nice but my husband told them to give it to someone else because he was not able to find his tax ID card quickly and he hated making the man stand out in the cold.
Today they are giving away one meter high trees to people in our district.
Ann does make the BEST chutney, I never knew how good chutney could be, I am now a addict.
We have not really bought family gifts for years now. We buy throughout the year if we need something, more like want something because we are actually overfilled with things that we don't use.
When our son was a child we had huge Christmas dinners and the works, once served both a turkey and a goose for dinner. I come from a large family and used to have the dinners at our home if not at my mom's.
Those days are gone, sad but sort of freeing as well.
The pressure to buy a gift that was liked for 10 or more people was very  hard and got expensive and of course our only child got everything under the sun, even our dog got gifts.
Now even I, an ex shopper dislike shopping in crowded malls, makes me nervous and I just want out.
One Christmas about 12 years back we were invited to our neighbors for Xmas dinner in Erd. We told them no, they insisted but we told them many times we will bring food, drinks whatever but we do not exchange gifts.
We felt they didn't actually "get it" they seemed to of expected a gift beyond the wine, sweets and bubble we brought over.
It was uncomfortable.
They gave us a little something, I can't even remember what it was , it was a pair of socks or something very small and not needed at all.
That's one reason I dislike holidays, the pressure and expectations are too much.
My husband usually gives me money to do what I want with but lately I have just told him to hang onto it until I am in a shopping mood.
Some Xmases in the past he went overboard buying me expensive things and other holidays he bought me zero, just gave some cash.
This year I honestly do not want anything, my BD is just before Xmas and that does me well enough, only buy beauty products most times, things one can use daily.
If I had grandkids I am sure I would be more into the holidays.
It is all about children.

After being full time in a profession job for many years,   it does worry me slightly how quickly I have morphed into the supreme housewife and how much I am enjoying it.
But that is one of the pleasures of some of the hungarian lifestyle: A supposed more traditional slower way of life.
   In the countryside people particularly tend  do things for themselves,  such as grow their own food,  keep chickens,  make alcohol etc and it is a slightly less commercial holiday than in most parts of the UK. Also Xmas doesn't seem to drag on forever. But I do live without TV so avoid being bombarded by endless advertisements.
Of course I can only talk from my own experience and from what I see around me.

I never watch tv either, only internet news etc.
My son is working this holiday so even if we had traveled to see him we still wouldn't of had a "real" Christmas day with him.
I think the only thing he likes about Xmas is the candies, Trader Joe's has again been selling those wonderful Brandy chocolate covered Cherries from Hungary in the US.
For a short time they stopped selling them, something to do with alcohol taxes I think.
I know when I worked the casinos in Vegas we dealers used to bring in treats to share with everyone in our pit at Xmas time. I always had fun because I brought in those brandy cherries from Hungary, everyone really, really liked them, must of been because of the buzz.
I once brought in several of the baglie deserts that my husband made up for Xmas.
My casino floor manager had been an Italian Baker in his past life. He loved my husbands baking so much that he let me off work 5 hours early on Xmas eve one year.
Didn't even think it would be possible but out of perhaps  80 dealers on shift only 5 of us were let off early for the holiday. I just happened to also have the next 3 days off... Nice.
Sometimes you get lucky without trying other times no way.
On my 50th BD I asked the floor man of the day to let me off early. It was his option to do, let some people off 20 mins early.
I was so mad at him because he didn't give it to me, in fact he had me work overtime!
I guess working in Vegas really is the roll of the dice.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

I can make a pot of spiced hot wine for a faction of a tiny cup given for hundreds of forints.

And you probably use better wine, too. 

fluffy2560 wrote:

Anyone who would pay stupid money for anything needs their head examined - Xmas or otherwise.

Which is the business model for Neiman Marcus on down to any place outside Italy where someone called a Barista makes your coffee.

In other words, many of us tend to do such things, from time to time.   

And if just done from time to time such actions are like little acts of self pampering. Which, in their own way, are probably mentally healthy actions. If we can.    Sadly, many people can not because everything they make has to go to just surviving.  Those are the people to think about this time of year, and then make a New Years resolution to think of, and act for, them the rest of the year. 

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Anyone who would pay stupid money for anything needs their head examined - Xmas or otherwise.

Which is the business model for Neiman Marcus on down to any place outside Italy where someone called a Barista makes your coffee.:

Couple of weeks ago, I ordered a large skinny latte in Costa Coffee and the operator - wearing a Barista T-shirt - made it for me.  If a Barista made it, it must be good.

I pondered then what skill level is needed to become a Barista? Looked like  pressing some automatic start buttons on the gurgling machine, twiddling some knobs and then generating steam into the milk to me.  Looked far less skilled than serving staff in "proper" restaurants. I am wondering if McDonaldistas or KFCistas will be hyped up next.

Barista marketing reminds me of the New Zealanders marketing campaign to turn chinese gooseberries into kiwi fruits in the 60s. Pure genius.

Oh, the Barista was wearing a Santa hat. I'm still on topic - honest!

I am so much anti- big business that even when my dentist in Vegas gave me a coupon for a free $5. coffee at Starbucks I never used it.
Dang it, for $5. I can have my morning coffee everyday for a month!
More like for 6 weeks actually. ( Funny how in the US they try to make buddies with their clients and not try to give them the run around for a tip, having to wait an extra 20 mins equals a Starbucks coffee)
I am not cheap but not wasteful either, at least not these days.
I once spent $800.on a leather jacket in the 80's, over $300 in the 80's for a cool pair of Guess cowgirl boots and countless bucks on lipsticks and other "vanity" items' That being said I know the whole,"You're worth it" sales pitch, used that myself to sell beauty products in the salon.
looking back on it, I probably could of bought a 150 sq. meter flat in Budapest if I had not bought a ton of junk because "I was worth it".

I suppose everyone has their personal priority on tossing hard earned bucks down the old c*** shoot!
My husband used to always tell me, quote," If I have a Hungarian wife, I would be driving a Rolls Royce, not a junk car". His way of saying American women can sometimes be a bit much, I agree now looking back on things.
Meaning I wasted more money every month on clothing etc. then a car payment for a Rolls would of been.
I have learned my lesson the hard way.
I must say my husband is a total saint, I used to spend his money, I barely ever worked outside of the home. He is a real gent. Or maybe, he did think I was worth it!

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

" If I have a Hungarian wife, I would be driving a Rolls Royce, not a junk car"

punt to https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 10#3487367

OK, so I have decided to not be such a Humbug after all...
Getting into the holiday mood a tiny bit.
Our district mayor has given out Xmas trees and a package of gift treats to seniors over age 60 in our area.
Very thoughtful. I know there are many older people who live alone and this small gift might just make their day, it put me in the holiday spirit a tiny bit.
I wonder if they will be doing the same for people with children etc. They came door to door to hand out the boxes.
Off today to pick up a few (pagan) items to hang from the tree, I was thinking of just leaving it empty just because the smell alone is good enough, no have to do it up after all...

Please people, watch out for Holiday Pick Pocketer's, they may steal your Christmas or at least make you do a double think on humanity.
Yesterday was no big loss for us, more like a tiny little disappointment.
My husband and I went to a Xmas vendor, a older man in a wheelchair to buy just a couple of little items to hang on our tree.
My husband loves those sparklers  loves to light them up and watch them go off. To me that is a iffy thing, have a bucket of water on stand by!
He wore his big coat with pockets in the front, he usually never puts anything in his pockets except some used tissues.
He put his new toys in his pocket after we bought them and set off for a local grocery shop.
It was super crowded inside and some guy bumped into me from behind and while that was going on he also sort of bumped into my husband. My back was turned so didn't get a look at the wobbly shopper.
Got home and hubby realized his toy sparklers had gone missing from his coat pocket. He was bummed like a little boy not a nearly 70 year man.
It's a good thing that is all that went missing though.
Beware of bumpers and people who distract you in crowded areas at this time of year.
These "people" usually work in groups or in pairs.
Tomorrow I'll go back to the same vendor and pick him up some more "toy" sparklers.
Don't let any Grinch's steal your joy.
Watch where you put your wallet etc.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Please people, watch out for Holiday Pick Pockets, they may steal your Christmas or at least make you do a double think on humanity..... tiny little disappointment.
...Don't let any Grinch's steal your joy.
Watch where you put your wallet etc.

In previous posts I related things that happened to me in the 20+ years (on and off, 7 years solid this time) that I've been in HU with Mrs Fluffy and the Fluffyettes.  Previously pick pocketed (passport gone etc), car broken into (door locks ripped out), car stolen, car keyed, car broken into (smashed window), car crashed into and perps left scene.

Last more serious incident was being burgled (in 2015). Stole 1500 HUF  which was a Fluffyette's pocket money.   Our house currently in renovations has metal steel shutters, security doors, burglar alarm linked to a security office, remote monitoring (sends e-mails and SMS emergency), lights on sensors and about 8 cameras internet accessible and on continuous record.  And then there's the planned dog. Paranoid or what!

The crime in Hungary is all seems to be petty stuff but can have devastating effects. Mrs Fluffy told me her colleague was robbed of her salary by pick pockets  (ok, it was 15 years ago).  It caused a massive crisis for that family.  Our burglary was a serious hit on our confidence - invasion of our personal space, unknown threat to our family and direct intrusion.  An intentional act against us.

Compared with the following, it's almost trivial.

Mrs Fluffy also told me this morning of a family mentioned on the radio - 8 kids, mother and father.  Few days ago, the father dropped dead aged 55.  Imagine, Mum and 8 kids, no father and at Xmas (or any other time now I mention it).  Another one also on the radio, few days ago mother gives birth to baby, dies in childbirth, father left with the baby and 4 other kids. 

Best the government could rustle up for them is a Christmas tree apparently.

Yes, I am glad we just got a wake up call and nothing at all serious.
Invasion of anyone's personal space is not a good feeling.
We had a Dobie( Doberman) years ago, a huge baby spoiled , would eat off a plate from our dinner table, had his own pull out bed in the house etc.
Once a stoned out of their minds stranger upset our quiet middle class neighborhood in S. Cal.
A high on drugs guy wearing only his undershorts ran into our neighbors living room late on a Sunday night, just went right into the room with them,the young man of the house threw him out, we heard screaming etc. in the distance which woke us up from bed.
The dude then ran up the elderly widows tree in her front yard before the cops arrived.
What woke us up was our dog, love the Doberman personality, didn't bark or make a sound, just ran in and out of our house through is doggie door, growling like a Devil Dog very softly.
Hackles up, crouched low while running, ear up really cool to see him in actually "action".
He had a fit when we went outside, he ran between my husband and I not being sure which of us to protect. Don't see allot of Dobermans around much these days but they are really great all round pets if trained early enough, they are stubborn if they do not know the rules.They are super smart and will not listen if they do not have to. Me training a 108lbs Dobbie being at the time only 120lbs myself was not easy to do. He once dislocated my shoulder because there was to much slack in his lead,  was not trained proper at that time and tried to snag a cat.straight off to school for him after that. Dogs, trained dogs are suppose to have lack in their leads and never pull.
He didn't bark or make a loud noise until things were over with, the guy was hauled away to jail.
I loved knowing no matter how spoiled his was, he still could do a good job of protection.

So sad to hear about that family who lost their father/husband. Same thing happened back in the late 1920's in Hungary to my MIL.
She was the youngest of 9 children and the only girl( imagine trying to date her with 8 bros!)
Her father was in charge of buying and training the horses for the Budapest police dept. A real horseman. He died around his late 30's or early 40's from TB. Left his wife to raise all those kids alone with no real social aid available back then. Life is tough for some people, we should all be grateful for the good times, family and things we have because things can change in a flash. Thanks for reminding me to be more grateful.

Too keep this topic on the cheerful topic of the holiday season, I have replied to some posts here at this thread instead:

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 10#3492103

klsallee wrote:

For example, Christmas on December 25 using the older Julian calendar currently corresponds to January 7 in the Gregorian calendar. So in a nod to be ecumenical, I like to leave my decorations up past January 7th.

So, you are Russian at heart, I guess (they celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7th for exactly that reason).

Was thinking that this holiday season might have a few acts of terror involved even here in Hungary in such places as the Christmas Market or other popular venues,
Didn't want to "paint the Devil on the wall" as they say in Hungarian so just left that topic alone until what happened in Germany happened.
So very unpleasant and sad.
Why anyone would wish to do such harm for any reason is beyond my thinking, let's all hope this is not going to have a repeat.

Why the Europeans are letting in all these unsafoury characters is beyond me, you just dont open your borders and let anyone in in masses. These problems Europe is experiencing is Europe's own doing. There's a reason why there are borders, passport control, security checks and screening. I really cannot have sympathy with Europe. Plain stupidity is what it is.
The world is not a nice place, contrary to populour believe. Lets hope the Europeans will soon start realising the danger they are toying with and take remedial measures and preventative measures.

We stay here over Christmas, we do every year in order to keep an eye on our small holding (company is also on the small holding) as December is the time of year criminals are most active as they know people are away on holiday. The police force is not nearly as effective as it was when Europeans were in control here. We do not have children and are free to go away out of season which is what we prefer as it is quieter and cheaper. Maybe someday if we manage to relocate to Europe we can spend some time in Hungary over Christmas which should be nice I think.

The holidays in Hungary are more or less all about family.
If you don't have a family in Hungary then it just is not the same experience.
I agree, Europe has opened up a can of worms.
My husband was a refugee from Hungary in the early 1970's. He walked right into the police station and turned himself in as soon as he was sure his feet were in Italy.
They had gotten used to people running the boarder so the cops just sat him down, gave him a drink and called up the camp where they held people.
Funny side story, he ran the boarder with another guy, guess their adrenaline levels were sky high .
My husband realized they had crossed the boarder safely but the guy he escaped with kept on running for hours, literally ran through several Italian villages without stopping. My husband was waiting at the police station for the guy to show up. He was all relaxed with his drink when finally after being turned around by laughing police in other villages, his friend finally got to the station where my husband had been for hours already. Said the cops laughed their heads off there as well because the guy was barely able to stand after running for hours, sweating, out of breath, that's how afraid they were of being captured.
Husband spent another 8 months in a refugee
camp while interpol and the US gov. did background checks on him
He was screened by several countries as they all wanted him because of his job skills, SA, Australia, Germany, Sweden and many others wanted him to move to their country.
He decided on the US because as he thought at the time, might as well go for the most capitalist place on earth and see what happens.
All his fellow Hungarian refugees also had screenings, a few went down the wrong path after they were excepted into the US but they were "clean" when they entered.
My husband said of course it wasn't fun to be in a camp but they understood why they were there and no one treated them badly.

The wages are generally too low in Hungary to encourage too many permanent settlers and like some other countries skilled Hungarian  workers seek employees elsewhere.  But back on the holiday topic.  This season is just about over but there seems to be numerous bank holiday weekends  and I wonder where I will find a proper list?