Hungary

In the evening of 5th December, children place polished shoes or boots on their windowsills. Early in the morning on 6th December Szent Mikulás comes with a big sack full of presents and a large record book with children's good and bad deeds. He is said to be accompanied by two helpers, a good angel who gives out presents to good children and a krampusz, a mean goblin who punishes bad children. Good children find sweets, tangerines, oranges, walnuts, apples, chocolate Mikulás figures, and small presents. Naughty children find twigs painted gold or a wooden spoon.

On Christmas Eve, the children are allowed to see the Christmas tree for the first time. A bell is rung, and then they go into the room where the tree is and see all the presents underneath it.

Baby Jesus brings presents to Hungarian children on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Dinner
Many families in Hungary eat the traditional Christmas meal consisting of fish soup, stuffed cabbage and beigli.

Beigli is a cake filled with walnuts or poppy seeds.