“Did You Know?” Blog Series (Part 3) – Facts About Hungarian Culture

  • August 19, 2013
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  • Blog

St. Stephen’s Basilica Image – Some rights reserved by barnoid via Flickr

In honor of Saint Stephen’s Day (August 20th), the greatest national holiday for Hungarians, this week’s “Did You know?” blog series will focus on the Hungarian culture. Continue reading below for some fun and interesting facts about the culture of Hungary and Hungarian people!

Did You Know?

  • Hungary is one of the oldest countries in Europe; it was founded in 896, before France and Germany became separate entities, and before the unification of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
  • Hungarians were the inventors of a few amazing things, such as the Rubik’s Cube, ball point pens and holography.
  • Only five countries (USA, USSR, UK, France and Italy) have won more Summer Olympic gold medals than Hungary in history. This is out of 211 nations!
  • Hungary is one of the thirty most popular tourist destinations in the world, attracting 10.2 million tourists a year.
  • If invited to a Hungarian’s home for a meal, it is recommended you bring a box of good chocolates, flowers or Western liquor. Do not bring wine as the Hungarians are proud of the wines they produce.
  • Hungarians are emotive speakers who say what they think and expect you to do the same.
  • In Hungary, it is often difficult to schedule meetings on Friday afternoons or from mid July to mid August. You should also also avoid scheduling meetings from mid December to mid January.
  • The official language of Hungarian (also known as Magyar) is spoken by 98% of the 10.3m population. Minority languages have become more prominent in recent years, and they include German, Croatian, Romani, Slovak, Romanian, Serbian and Slovene.
  • The official name of Hungary is “Hungarian Republic.”
  • Hungary, like Austria, has a long tradition of classical music, although, it is often blended with folkloric elements.
  • The Hungarian flag consists of three equal sized horizontal stripes. The top stripe is red and symbolizes strength, the middle one is white and represents faithfulness and fidelity and the bottom stripe is green and stands for hope.
  • Germany is Hungary’s largest economic partner.

What fun facts about the Hungarian culture would you add to this list? Please post your comments below. LSA wishes all Hungarians celebrating their national holiday tomorrow a very happy Saint Stephen’s Day!