Articles by Initial Letters

Moldavian Csángó Hungarian Christmas traditions. The Moldavian Csángó Hungarians are Roman Catholic and their Christmas traditions follow those religious customs, with "perhaps fewer outside influences…". Discussed separately are the advent; Christmas eve (Dec 24th, the end of the fast, preceded by lots of cleaning); the house to house Bethlehem passion plays and caroling that went on until the new year; Christmas, December 25th (when ALL work was forbidden); Saint Stevens Day; Saint John’s Day; the so-called “rolling week” between Christmas and New Year’s. Some of the more remote Hungarian Csángó villages did not add a Christmas tree to their celebrations until after 1990 – while in villages with more outside influences Christmas trees appeared in the 1960s, and it is seen as a custom brought from the west. By Halász Péter.