Hungarian Christmas comes Jesus- Boldog Karácsonyt!

Boldog Karácsonyt is Merry Christmas in Hungarian. We do not have any peculiar customs, but let's sum up our Christmas traditions.

First of all, there is no Santa Claus here (he comes earlier), it is personally the little Jesus (Jézuska) bringing the presents on the eve of the 24th. The Christmas tree is decorated during the day or afternoon, gifts are wrapped and then, as a child you are waiting excited to hear the little ring, or somekind of sign which tells you that you can enter the room with the shiny presents.

Since we worship Little Jesus this day, we usually have small stable installations, where supposedly baby Jesus was born. There is also an

Burlesque pride of Budapest - no cheap striptease please!

Melitta Honeycup

"Burlesque is a humorous theatrical entertainment involving parody and sometimes grotesque exaggeration." - says Wikipedia promptly when you look up the word. Some say it is high class stripping or stripping for fat people or not even stripping at all. Theater, acting, dancing,acrobatics, mime, its all in the pot, but is there anything more to it?

Do we know where does it come from? And most of all what does it have to do with Budapest? This city is famous for seedy strip joint not for glamorous variete theaters...Was it so always? Was there an era of a Budapest inhabited by comedians and starlets? 

In the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, the circle of the 3 now eastern European capitals, Vienna, Prague, Budapest had their own way to name the variete theaters: "Orfeum"-s. This was the time, when operetta got big and set the scene for the future musicals. Imre Kálmán (or more familiarly Emmerich Kálmán) Ferenc Lehár, whose plays have even made to the Broadway, Pongrács Kacsóh, Jenő Huszka and so much more to mentioned have filled the theaters with their light enjoyable music.

Good Morning Budapest! - best breakfast places

„Wake up! Let's go working!  
-But why?  
- Because work is ennobling!”*

Budapest is in a phase when it has to re-invent, re-inaugurate and re-invigorate old, sometimes almost forgotten customs, urban traditions; such as the so pleasant ritual of breakfast or weekend brunch.I have to admit that Budapest seems to oversleep the date of these meals in weekends, whereas on weekdays, only few can afford the luxury of a leisurely-consumed breakfast when the arrival to the office (or school) is due at 8.00 AM.

Whats up Budapest? - Regular Underground Partyguide

Some people love surprises, some others just freak out of them. One thing is sure, surprises are stressful, they just raise the adrenaline in your body (good or bad way, depends on you and the manifestation of the surprise as well). Xmas is really the time of surprises... Just think about that rubber-made spider you got from your little brother last year, that embroidered table cover your granny gave you, or that ceramic angel-shaped candle holder you got from your boss. For those who want to avoid the stress of surprises already one week before the Xmas rush, I have good news. We've collected some parties which will be for sure just perfect for some weekend dancing.

XMAS FAIRY TALES WALKS - we have been there!

Wondering sbout our XMAS FAIRY Tales Sightseeing Tours? Scott Alexander Young and  a French Budapest Ambassador wrote their experiences:

On the 2nd December, the Ambassadors took a walk around a part of Budapest that is very familiar to most of us, but still coated in layer upon layer of history and legends. The Fairy Tales Tour by Budapest Underguide  took us around the Christmas markets, mulled wine in hand, where we heard

about colourful folk superstitions and traditions.

 

Whats up Budapest? - Regular Underground Partyguide

Santa Claus has already put the deserved chocolate or virgács to your boots (for being a good or bad party-kid in the past year), so it is time to get them out of the window and use them for what they have been invented by the ancient Greeks. That is walking (to a partyplace) and dancing (for nice music). Let's see where to walk and what for to dance this weekend.

Hungarian Santa Claus comes earlier - Mikulás 6th december

The US exported Santa Claus everywhere, and Coca Cola sponsored his red clothes forever. However, we in Hungary at least - and some other few countries - keep our traditions. Christmas is reserved for the Little Jesus, and our Santa Claus comes earlier in December and has no reindeers and does not live in Finland but in heaven, He is called Mikulás (from the name Miklós, Nicholas), has a big bag full with presents, and has some "evil" sidekicks, the krampusz, who deliver to the naughty children.

Every child knows this feeling in Hungary. 5th December, maybe snow is falling, and you are going to bed...

Sweet Sinning in Hungary - best cakemakers and their legends

Have you ever tried Hungarian desserts? Not sure? So probably you haven't because eating our sweets is more or less equal to the fall. A Somlói Galuska or a Gundel Palacsinta should definitely have an own tree in the garden of Eden.  Behind every sweet sinful taste there is a story of a great man or a legend.


Let's start with the most diabolic one: the Gundel Pancake in flames....

whats up budapest? 3 DAYS PARTY- regular underground partyguide

I love houseparties. My friends are around, I have a quite a big influence on the DJ - or whoever is at the computer - to play my favourite song and there is always a kitchen and a bathroom to hear the latest and hottest gossip in town. The only problem with houseparties is the "missing hero"...the lack of regular houseparty organisers.  Don't be sad, we've selected for you the parties for the weekend, where nice people, cool music and a lot to happen are more than likely.
 



 Ah, and by the way, only this weekend more to go and our Mikulás (something like Santa Claus but arriving on the 6th December) is coming :))

Minorities of Budapest

If sometimes you're  feeling a bit confused about the incredible number of ethnic groups and nations in Eastern-Central Europe, don't worry! It really is very complicated and has always been. In addition, it's always an incredibly delicate question....

The good old Austro-Hungarian Empire used to be the melting pot of minorities. Although most of the time (not always), the Hungarian represented the majority, a considerable number of different ethnicities lived more or less peacefully together: Germans, Romanians, Jews, Serbs, Gypsies, Croats, Székely (the inhabitants of Transylvania) and so on and so forth.

whats up budapest? - regular underground partyguide

These boots are made for...

-regular underground partyguide-

 

Skinny jeans, an open-back dress, a 30-cm-long skirt, granny’s pullover, sexy boots, sunglasses, five types of jewelleries in one time, a glittering top... is there an odd one amongst them?

If your answer is no, i would suggest to think about it again. If your answer is yes, and you're a hundred percent sure of the correctness of your answer, i officially qualify you for going out this weekend. 

 

 

 

Fairy Tales do come true in Budapest - Sugar Shop design confectionary

We had our design Budapest walk this Sunday. There is plenty to tell you about, we have been in the Zara Design Hotel and than also in Tuzrakter Cultural Centre, and wandered along the Paulay Street where you could easily spend all your earnings on the fancy stylish new-generation Hungarian designer clothes. However, there are some more affordable pieces of fashion, namely the bag collection of Sugar Shop - all edible :D



Down with Viennese Cafe style and long live the Design Futuristic Candy shops!

whats up budapest? - regular underground partyguide

First of all, sorry for putting the guide on friday evening, internet was far today :) But the night is young and anyway there is tomorrow

Have you ever thought about having weekends in just one period of the year (for example in summer only)? That would be awful. But don't worry, even though  the late summer days we had this November are coming to an end, there are still weekends. This means you can go out, even when it is so hard moving out of the warm and comfortable room.  Keep in mind, weekends are the only time when you can go out and spend the other day with sleeping.

Discovering South Buda o a walking tour

I am one of the guides of budapestUNDERGUIDE and right now we are running a campaign Séta van! (Walking!) where we organize free walks every Sunday. We had a nice 2hours long walk in the 11th disctrict, in South-Buda, which is a less visited district of Budapest.

The photo which inspired Bresson to photograph - Martin Munkácsi

http://fotobibliografica.ca/media/Munkacsi_Tanganyika.jpg

In 1932, the young Henri Cartier-Bresson, at the time an undirected photographer who catalogued his travels and his friends, saw the Munkácsi photograph Three Boys at Lake Tanganyika, taken on a beach in Liberia. Cartier-Bresson later said, "For me this photograph was the spark that ignited my enthusiasm. I suddenly realized that, by capturing the moment, photography was able to achieve eternity. It is the only photograph to have influenced me. This picture has such intensity, such joie de vivre, such a sense of wonder that it continues to fascinate me to this day." He paraphrased this many times during his life, including the quotation, "I suddenly understood that photography can fix eternity in a moment. It is the only photo that influenced me. There is such intensity in this image, such spontaneity, such joie de vivre, such miraculousness, that even today it still bowls me over." (wikipedia)

My sister and Frank Zappa - Vadabadas concert in Zappa Café

wikipedia

Imagine the early 1990s, barely after the democratic transition, rendszerváltás (systemchange) how we call it. Imagine the underground movement of this period and their most beloved meeting place. This place was called Tilos az Á (meaning literally "The A is forbidden" after the famous trespassing sign from Winnie the Pooh - it is the Hungarian version of "No T") till it got closed by the authorities in 1995. Now it reopened. Frank Zappa had a concert there 20 years ago and Tuesday my little sister's band, the Vadabadas played here as well. 

whats up budapest? - regular underground partyguide

Budapest is the city of ruin pubs, open-air places and festivals (well, not always, but in summer for sure). It's not summer now and I am a little fed up with ruin pubs as well, so I decided to check out where to go for some fresh dancing. I don't call it clubbing, Budapest is not really a city for clubbing, I'd rather call it just pure partying.

Don't wait for too many options or well-known DJs week by week, I can offer just some interesting venues you should check, where nice people and some promising music can be found. 

Friday - party
Saturday - party

Promising Metropolitan Party Place - SZIKRA

Sunday can be with hangover (másnaposság in HUngarian, meaning "with the next day")

I was in Szimpla (simple), no, sorry, Szikla (rock), no not even that one... Szikra (sparkle), yeah, that's it :) Szikra Cool Tour House has its opening parties series these days and we just had to check it out on this Saturday nigh fever.


We still do not get it what this place was before. Theatre for sure, cinema as well, and than for some period they had random parties or events. Now it is a very retro, yet fancy party place with a huge dancefloor. We were already hungry for something like this!

Lumen Gallery - my dog drank my cappucino and I took a photo of it

The so called Palace district, named after the rich, tremendous residence buildings owned by aristocratic families in the past, has always been my favourite. Not only mine, but of many university students as you have many important universities, libraries, cafes and other cultural points next door. On the most charming square, in my opinion the most Mediterranean spot in Budapest, where I used to cross in my university year, the best place for a photo exhibition and high quality caffee is the very tiny Lumen Gallery.

Klub Vittula - go underground

 You are in front of the shiny New York Palace (Boscolo Hotel) building, close to Blaha Lujza square. Go further back, and turn left in Kertész utca. Before, you can buy cigarettes in one of the shops, then after 5 metres if you forgot something, you can enter in the next 24 hour shop for a beer, or an ananas. 
Now you are ready to enter underground. Find the red door (which in the dark looks actually pretty black) of Vittula, mind the step and sometimes the candles and press enter.

Dali likes pizza - crazy little pub

I was thinking for a long time if to write about this place or not. It is certainly not touristy, and not even really know by locals. It is a very small pub with the weirdest things accumulated inside. You would sure miss it, walk by, or even once inside you would consider it a trashy pub without style. However, upstairs there is the reincarnation of Dali's "Persistence of Time" painting, with pizzas. Please notify me, if you have ever seen such a thing in a small trashy bar, without any noticeable contemporary artistic mission!

City of Eger - drink wine and wonder on torturing

Last Sunday I was with my family in the city of Eger, in the North-East of Hungary, about a 2 hours' ride from Budapest. Every Hungarian has been on one of the school trips, and then later during university to get a little wasted from the many wines in the Szépasszonyvölgye ("the valley of the beautiful woman" - the name might want to indicate that every woman turns into a beauty after 2 litres of wine :))

Apart from tasting good wines, you can count all the kinds of churches, visit the medieval fortress, meet some medieval fighters and learn in details about the torturing methods of all times in the torture museum!

23 October - Revolution against the Soviets

Today, 23rd October, if you open google in Hungary, you will see this:
Wanna know why?

 On 23rd October 1956 a huge mass of people gathered for a protest started against communism. Someone cut out the Soviet version of Hungary's arms from the middle of the flag and these flags soon became main symbols  for the fight for freedom.

Szatyor Bar - Plastic Bag Bar reopens after 100 years in Buda

Szatyor means plastic bag in Hungarian. Szatyor means now also the end of the ruin bar thirst on the Buda side.


 The bar got its name from our famous writer Karinthy Frigyes. When he first entered the underground floor of the Hadik Café, and saw the mat overlay on the walls, he exclaimed: "My dears, this is nothing but a Szatyor (plastic bag)!
Karinthy's works have been also translated to more foreign languages, one of his  famous ironic books about school life can be read here . For those with hard nerves, I can recommend Journey Round my Skull where he writes about his brain tumor operation experience.

Memento Park - walking among Communist statues and symbols

The Memento Statue Park cannot be really considered a hidden sight, as all the guide books mention it. However, I have encountered many travellers clueless as to whether it is worth paying it a visit finding their location. I used to live close to the Memento Park, so I chatted with these folks on the long bus ride and we shared thoughts about whether communist statues are interesting to look at or not.

Triptrotters are here! - meet locals in Budapest

If you thought couchsurfing and hospitality club has given the answer to intercultural travelling, you were wrong! Triptrotters are already here in Budapest, find yours and start enjoying staying here in our wonderful city even more!

Shoes on the Danube bank - Holocaust memorial

Have you ever come across some bronze shoes scattered along the riverside in Budapest? If yes, a smile might have crossed your face since they look adorable...but if you start wondering what they could stand for?, who do they remember? -  some shivers will go down your spine. They remind us of tragic times of Hungarian history.

Party on a retro soviet roof - Corvin tető

"For just as Paris dictates Europe’s fashion, so is the capital’s fashion dictated by Corvin, and it does so with a master’s hand." (Pesti Hírlap Képes Naptára, Pester Newspaper's Picture Calendar )1930

The citation is nowadays truer than ever before. Corvin gained success as a department store in this century, and is having his golden epoch right now: it is the centre of Budapest's club scene, in every sense of the word. It is in one of the main junction points, it is visited by  Hungarians as well as  foreigners, it can be defined a highly popular donno-where-to-party-so-lets-go-here-surely-good-party places and still, it hasn't lost its underground touch. The magic of the Budapest underground scene: made for everyone, made with careful style.

Design week - brush up your wardrobe in Second hand shops and Designer fairs

Budapest is no Milan in terms of design, but we try to make up for this on the autumn DesignWeek from the 1st of October till the 10th. Models walk up and down the catwalks, studios open up to the public for a few days, special open air expositions can be admired all through the city and you can shop with discounts in designer shops!

To learn more about design week programs, check their homepage:
http://www.designhet.hu/en/news 

Funky interactive fountain in front if the Hungarian National Bank

Did I ever tell you that one of the best things about Budapest is that it is getting always better and better? We sure do have many political, economical macro, mezzo cosmic problems, but one thing where we are scoring high points is: how to make Budapest's spaces funnier and more livable and lovable?

Light jogging or Marathon sweat - Budapest has it all

I have found this cool application. It actually shows running routes, which I believe could be of great help to some joggers coming to this city.

I have chosen to present the classy Margit Island - in the evenings it is crammed with joggers but it is still one of the best routes. If you get there by sunset you will probably have to stop your legs for a second to admire the beautiful lights on the castle hill or the Parliament.

Gödör never sleeps - dance outdoors

I wrote earlier about Gödör, this ultimate center of town.
Even in the end of September, the real magyar goes to hop their legs outdoors.

Wine, dinner, style, panorama - go for it all at Fuchsli bistro

"Now, where should a superhero take some fröccs on the weekends?"


Strolling along the Danube side, or crossing over the bridges in Budapest, it can happen that you feel a sudden urge to take a wine and linger with your eyes on the Gellért hill with the magical lighting statue on the top. Or wouldn't it be nice to eat something so typical it makes you feel so Hungarian that you suddenly would like to be able to pronounce and know the names of all the illuminated bridges. I mean, everybody gets the Chain Bridge part, but the tricky ones are the -  by foreigners commonly referred to -  as Green Bridge and White Bridge - try to be a magyar superhero and learn them :)


There is a quiet place among all these colourful bridges on the Pest riverbank, where quality wine, good yet simple food and panorama come together. It is a  family owned winery, bistro,  bar - call it how you want, a cozy and yet exquisite place for a dinner.

Design street - off the beaten path courtyards and shops in Király street

A few days ago, on the occasion of the European Union's Cultural Heritage Day, some free guided tours were organized in Budapest. I strolled along with a huge Hungarian group on Király utca, one of the oldest and still most developing streets downtown.
Let's check what the most hidden gems were!

First of all, a little history and situation. Király utca leads from Deák Tér (centre centre) till the City Park, crossing over the Grand Buolevard (Nagykörút). However, the historically richer part is inside the boulevard, so till the 4-6 tram's stop.

Bike revolution in Budapest - Critical Mass

Budapest is becoming a biker city. Pest is totally flat and that is where more or less you move around - so more and more people are switching to wire donkeys (hmm, i have told you that Hungarian language is creative - this is another word for bike)  instead of cars and public transport.

Relax, cleanse yourself, and PARTY in the SPAS! - Budapest the Thermal Bath Paradise

If you bore a whole in Hungary, you will find water. Warm water with minerals, which refresh body and soul. And can make you party :)

BEST PANORAMA - One afternoon trip to the peak of Budapest -

If you have ever laid foot in Hungary, you might have noticed that we do not have too many mountains... to tell the truth almost nothing. Our highest peak is the Kékes with 1014 metres, I think this really shows in which terms we have to think about hills here. In Budapest, at least, we like to call every little bump on the ground a hill. So we have Gellért-hill with the freedom statue, Castle hill with the castle and the least touristic, but most beautiful: János (John) Hill.

20th August – the biggest fireworks for the only happy holiday

Hungary’s history has not really been on the happy side in the last centuries – we like to think, and of course, we can grab out a big amount of historical proof for it. However, the melancholy must be also in our blood, since we chose mainly to commemorate not successful events for our national holidays. It must be added, though, that they were always brave fights against oppressors, with notable politicians, poets or alike leading them.
If we look further back into the past of our country, we had had more joyful and powerful times, like those of our first christian king St Steven (Szt István) around the turn of the year 1000. He is also called the land- and religion founder – so this would explain why we have a Basilica, a holy right fist and a lot more dedicated to this virtuous man. On the 20th August we celebrate the foundation of Hungary, but more precisely the anniversary of St Steven’s canonization (i.e when he was declared a saint).

Late night bakery snacks – special treat at RÁKÓCZI PÉKSÉG

Budapest has great nightlife. Apart from the millions of bars, beers, concerts, walking streets to choose from (of which most of are located close to each other), one of the main night-life drivers are the non-stop open shops/buffets. In the centre, the jewish- and the university districts especially but actually everywhere – they are on every corner. You can recognize them from their lighting signs, usually with the coca cola logo as well, and the small crowd in front of it. Prices aren’t so high compared to the luxury service that you can eat drink and buy cigarettes (in Hungary they are sold in all the shops) at any time of the day.
But forget about sandwiches and gyros (döner, kebab). Now I tell you about a very special bakery spot, usually open all night long, many locals' favourite night snack place.

Splash and cheers – Drink fröccs first and go to bed with a Lángos in the stomach.

Fröccs is the splashing sound in Hungarian of the water. However, it is more important that it is the ultimate summer booze here. It is no big deal, white wine with sparkling water. There is small (kis fröccs with 1:1 wine-water proportion), big (nagy fröccs 2:1) and so called „long step” (hosszú lépés with 1:2) – so you see, almost a repertoire of cocktails. My guider duty makes me tell you, to the great disappointment of the Spanish: we also have „calimocho” (in Spanish), VBK (in Hungarian) – cock with red wine. However, is rather preferred by  teenagers, fröccs is slightly more elegant, a refreshing booze on the hot summer days.

Psychedelic Herbal Tea Rock- Korai Öröm concert in Gödör Klub

Gödör is in the centre, actually Gödör is the centre itself! You cannot stay one day in the city without stumbling upon it, and you shouldn't, as it is one of the most quality music and art points. A few days ago, my Parisian friend Jean Charles visited me, and he was lucky enough to come with me to a very special band's concert in Gödör. And in Budapest we like free programs... as it was around the days of 20th August, our national holiday, plenty of attractive concerts were brought to us without having to open our wallet.
Korai Öröm (their name means literally "Early Joy") define themselves something like psychedelic herbal tea rock, which oddly enough pretty much describes their style. In Budapest, there is a broad alternative music scene, and they are one of the dinosaurs, for more than twenty years in the business. They combine tribal oriental sounds and instruments with rock. It is mostly instrumental, sometimes almost sounding like techno, and sometimes more on the rocker side, the singer providing some mysterious spiritual humming, creepy laughing or he is just simply jumping around the stage.

Go out to the Ditch in the heart of the city – GÖDÖR CULTURAL CENTRE and PARK

Gödör means ditch in Hungarian. And we, Budapesters love to lie on the grass here, take beers, or go to the cool concerts. You might ask: Why on earth do we have a ditch in the middle of the city? The story is a mix of Hungarian political debate and the architectural creativity of  Budapesters.

  The location of  the new National Theatre would be a strategic issue in any normal city. In the Hungarian capital even more, as we are struggling to harmonize our national psychology and body, but let this be another topic on magyars... Anyway, a few years ago the decision was finally taken and they started preparing the garage of the new theatre building at Deák Ferenc tér (where our 3 beloved metro lines cross). However political debate got into flames again, construction was stopped, and the new National Theatre (Nemzeti Színház)  was put in exile in the south, on the riverbank, next to the Palace of Arts (Mupa). So, can you imagine, poor Deák Ferenc tér, old elegant buildings facing the big hole?

Luckily enough, the hole became the Gödör Cultural Centre and the gorgeous park around it the hottest meeting point. During the day you can lie on the grass and relax, watch the lake (which, by the way, is the ceiling of the concert room below!!), or the youngsters skateboarding. In the evening people of all age start gathering, for a beer, with a guitar, to meet international erasmus students, or maybe someone is just passing by with the bicycle. If your friend's guitar skills need improvement, go inside Gödör and feel the vibe at folk, etno or rock concerts, jump to some cool DJ, or enjoy a wine listening some jazz. And watch out for the ever present exhibitions as well!

Why not meet at Gödör? Találkozzunk a Gödörnél!

Useful links: http://www.godorklub.hu/

Where is it?

Ps: Gödör is at Erzsébet tér (Elizabeth square), during the communist regime it was Stalin square – we can agree that it is better those times are over...

                                                                                

Bakonyi Zsuzsa