All about becoming a Hungarian citizen

There is a saying “You know you are Hungarian if Trianon hurts”. But what is Trianon to Hungarians, and why should it hurt? Learn a bit of Hungarian history with us, and get a better understanding of what binds us all together.

The current Hungarian Citizenship Act was accepted in 2010, and it grants citizenship to everyone with Hungarian descendants. Since the new Act came into force, more than 1 million people received Hungarian citizenship, and there are many more eligible.

In Hungary, we celebrate not only the birthday of our loved ones, but also their name days. In the calendar, each day is dedicated to one or more specific names, which is an excellent occasion to get together and celebrate. But how does that work, and where does it come from?

Hungary is a democracy governed by a Parliament. Every four years, general elections are held to elect the members of the Parliament and let people express who they trust to make the right decisions for the country.

While in Anglo-Saxon tradition and in pop culture Santa Claus is associated with Christmas, in Hungary we do this differently too. 6 December commemorates St. Nicholas, so this is when the Hungarian version of Santa Claus, called Mikulás or Télapó, visits children.