All Saints’ Day in Hungary: Every Grave Glows in Candlelight
It’s November 1, and instead of carving pumpkins or answering the doorbell to small vampires, Andrew and I are in Sümeg, where the hills are turning gold and the air smells faintly of woodsmoke. This weekend we’ve swapped Halloween chaos for candlelight calm....
Whit Monday Hungary: Closures, Customs & Calm
I’m writing this from our little winehouse in the countryside, where the only sound is birdsong and the occasional flap of Sümi’s oversized ears as she chases butterflies. Yesterday’s drive down was another story entirely – Whit Monday in Hungary has...
Press Houses and the Joys of Rural Hungary
It’s May 2nd in Hungary. The shops have reopened, yes—but most offices, schools, and anything resembling formal responsibility are still observing the unspoken ritual of a four-day weekend. Like many others enjoying rural Hungary this time of year, we’ve joined the...
Flowery Hungary (Virágos Magyarország) and the Culture of Care
There’s something about pulling into Gyenesdiás that always makes me smile. Maybe it’s the tidy pavements. Maybe it’s the way the flowerbeds look like someone’s grandmother still fusses over them daily. Or maybe it’s just because this little village, like so many in...
I’m Anikó Woods, a Canadian-Hungarian who’s been knee-deep in life here since 2017 - bureaucracy, culture, and everything in between.