Christmas interviews
By Class 7.
Hello our friends in Campalto! We made some interviews with our parents and grandparents to know how families prepared for Christmas. It was interesting to see how they felt about Christmas. We found some similarities and some differences between their and our generations. We hope you will enjoy reading the interviews. It is very cold and snowy in Hungary at the moment. How about in Italy? all the best:
Class 7
GĹ‘cze BarnabĂĄs Interview with my mother Me: How did you prepare for Christmas? My Mother: My father bought the Christmas tree and my mother bought the presents. Me: What did you do on 24th ? My Mother: We decorated the Christmas tree together and everybody packed their own presents. Me: What did your mother cook ? My Mother: We usually didn't eat fish but pork or chicken with rice or potatoes. Me: What kind of presents did you get ? My Mother: We usually got clothes and some toys. There were also some bananas and oranges under the tree. Me: What did you most like about Christmas? My Mother: I loved the colourful Christmas lights and the smell of the pine tree. Me: What did you do on 25th and 26th ? My mother: We always visited our relatives. Me: Which relatives did you visit? My Mother: We always visited our grandparents and sometimes our cousins. Me: Where did your grandparents live ? My mother: My mother's parents lived in Bugyi and my father's parents in Csopak.
Klein Eszter 1.How did you expect Christmas? Mum:We made an Advent wreath 4 weeks before Chritmas.On this wreath there were four candles.We lit a candle every week. 2. What happened at Christmas Eve? Mum: Children playing Nativity Scene came to the house and performed the birth of Christ.We enjoyed it very much. 3. What was the decoration of the Christmas tree? Mum:We decorated the tree with some candles, Christmas fondant, sparklers or light strings. 4. How big was the tree? Mum:We usually had a big Christmas tree which reached the ceiling. 5. Who were together in the family at Christmas? Mum:We celebrated with my grandparents, brothers and with my cousins and parents. 6. How did you give presents to each other? Mum:The presents were under the Christmas tree. Everybody found his/her own gift. 7. What kind of foods did you cook? Mum:We made fish soup, stuffed cabbage and of course we baked poppy-seed cake. 8. How long did the Christmas tree stand? Mum:It stood until the sixth of January.It was the Twelfth-day.
Kuszi Alexandra
Hello grandma.! How did you celebrate Christmas when you were children? When we were children our family was poor but we celebrated it every year.
Did you have a Christmas tree? Yes, we had a Christmas tree but we could decorate it have so nice Christmas tree decorations as nowadays .
with apples and walnuts. We didn’t
Was there fondant on the tree? We couldn’t buy fondant in the shops so my mum made it and gave it to us. What kind of presents did you get? The children got some gifts, for example a pair of socks, tights or cap, scarf, etc. My mum made a doll but we were very happy about it!
How did you celebrate Christmas? My mum cooked the meal and after dinner we got our gifts and than we went to church.
Melich Zsófia My granddad's Christmas Zsófi: Who were in your house? My grandpa: My mum and dad and my younger brother, my grandpa, my aunt and uncle, my cousin and me. Zsófi: What was the Christmas Eve like? My grandpa: At about six o’clock my grandfather entered the sitting room and we waited for the sound of the Christmas bell. It was always grandpa who rang the bell. Zsófi: What did you do after that? My grandpa: We entered the room and we all sang “Mennyből az angyal”. This is an old Hungarian Christmas song. After singing we gave each other the presents and wished “Merry Christmas”. Zsófi: What was the weather like that time? My grandpa: In my childhood the weather was cold and it always snowed. Zsófi: What kind of dishes did you eat at Christmas? My grandpa: At Christmas Eve we usually ate fish dishes especially fish soup, fish fingers and we often ate cold pork in aspic.
Zsรณfi: Who cooked the dinner for the celebration? My grandpa: My mum cooked the dishes and I always helped her. Zsรณfi: What was your favourite food? My grandpa: My favourite food was fish fingers with rice and tartar sauce, but my grandpa always ate cold pork in aspic. Zsรณfi: Did you make some Christmas presents for your parents? My grandpa: Yes, every year I gave to them handmade presents for example I made coloured candles. Zsรณfi: What kind of cakes did you eat? My grandpa: My mum (always) cooked honey-cakes. Zsรณfi: Did you help your parents to decorate the Christmas tree? My grandpa: When I was eleven years old that was the first time when I decorated the Christmas tree. We always put coloured balls of glass, little candles and to the pick of tree we put a glittered star.
Simon PÊter How my mom celebrated Christmas when she was a child‌ 1. How did you celebrate Christmas when you were a child? I think we mostly celebrated like today, we had the same traditions. 2. Did you have a Christmas tree? Yes, of course. My parents bought it. 3. Who decorated the tree? It was my mom. My father took me away, we had a walk, went to the cinema or sleighing and when we arrived home, the tree was ready. They said, it was the little Jesus, who brought the tree. 4. What presents did you get? We didn't have fancy presents like nowadays. I got books, clothes, not too expensive toys, e. g. card games, parlour games, a doll, or a toy car. 5. What did you eat? I don't really remember, I think meat or fish.
6. Who did you celebrate with? On Christmas Eve we were usually at home, only my parents and me. But on Christmas Day we took the train and and traveled to my grandparents.
7.Were there any children there? Yes. my mom's sister lived in the same village and she had two daughters, so we could play a lot. 8. Did you go to the midnight mess? When we rarely spent Christmas Eve at my grandparents’, we did, but in Veszprém we didn’t. 9. Where there any special traditions in that village? Yes! There was „regölés”. Men came to the houses in strange clothes and masks. They were singing and did strange „dancing”. I was afraid of them. 10. Did you like Christmas? Yes, very much.
Wächter Vanda How did you celebrate Christmas? I: When did you start preparations for Christmas? Mom: We started on the first Sunday of Advent. I: What decoration did you put on the Advent wreath? Mom: We didn’t have a wreath, because it wasn’t usual then. I: Did you write a letter to the angels? Mom: No, we didn’t. I: Did you bake a ginger bread and beigli? Mom: We didn’t bake ginger bread or beigli. I: What decoration did you put on the Christmas tree? Mom: We decorated it with glass ornaments.
I: What did you eat on Christmas day? Mom: We ate duckliver, roast goose, stuffed chicken and roast duck. I: How did you get the presents? Mom: In the morning we were at my grandmother’s then we went to the cinema, and when we got home we got our presents. I: Did you have a big family dinner? Mom: Yes, we did. The whole family gathered at my grandparents’. I: What was your program on Christmas Eve? Mom: We got the presents then we had Christmas dinner then we chatted and watched TV I: Did you attend the midnight mass on Christmas Eve? Mom: No, we didn’t.
Vingli Máté Dear grandfather, let me ask you some questions.
1. How did you spend Christmas days in your childhood? In my childhood, we lived in a farm. I spent Christmas Eve in our home, with my parents. The Christmas was usually white. We went with horsedrawn sledge to the Church at midnight.There we met our friends, and other members of the family. 2. What did you eat at Christmas? We ate a light meal, we didn”t eat meat and fatty food. 3. Did you have a Christmas-tree? Yes, we always had one. The Christmas-tree was the most important present for me.
4. Did you get a present for Christmas? Yes, small things, fondants, oranges and some warm winter chlothes. I seldom got toys.My family was not too rich after the war . 5. Are there any differences between Christmas today and those days in your childhood? At that time, we were happy when we got a small present. We talked and played cards with each other in the evenings We were more careful with each other than people today. Christmas was really the day of love.
DĂşl DĂĄvid Me:Granny, how did you prepare for Christmas Eve when you were a child? Grandmother:We sang carols in the church and prepared handmade toys for each other. After the worship in the church we lit candles and were happy with the family members. Me:Any special social traditions? Grandmother:We played the story of Betlehem. Me:What kind of food did you cook? Grandmother:My mom cooked and baked traditional Christmas meals and cakes such as fish, stuffed cabbage, gingerbread and poppy-seed cake. Me:How many people were sitting around the table at dinner? Grandmother:8 people: my grandparents, my parents, my sister and brothers and me.
Me: Did you have a Christmas tree? Grandmother:Yes, of course, we always had a small one.
Me:What was the decoration of the tree? Grandmother:We decorated the tree with nuts and apples. Me:What was the decoration on the top of the Christmas tree? Grandmother:A simple, small, nice star. Me:What sort of gifts did you receive? Grandmother:We lived in poverty, but in a great happiness. There was no internet, LEGO or mobile phones. We prepared toys for ourselves from corncobs and played with those figures.
Me:What was your most memorable christmas time in your life? Grandmother:At the age of seven we together with my sister and brothers received a sleigh and had a lot of fun. Me:Had you got a christmas holiday in the school? Grandmother:Yes, only 3-4 days.