Christmas in School

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Christmas is in schools in Hungary. It's a thing. And not just Christmas presents/trees/Santa. Oh no. JESUS. Jesus is schools goes against everything I ever learned about being a teacher.

About a month or so ago, I was told that I had to prepare a song/chant/dance/play for my class. Since I have 2 classes, I asked Claire to take over my 1st grade Christmas show while I concentrated on the 3rd graders.

I chose a play about reindeer. It's cute, it's Christmasy, it's innocent. We spent all of our English lessons for a week practicing. Singing songs, dancing, and acting. Tunde (my co-teacher) was really worried about their pitch and synchronization and everything. I was just happy they memorized their lines.

I've mentioned this in a previous blog, but it's relevant to this blog too. On December 6, Saint Mikulas (Santa) brings Hungarian children chocolates and candies and small gifts that he puts in their shoes if they are good. If they are bad, he gives them sticks painted gold to be hit with. So who brings Hungarian children presents on Christmas, you may ask. Good question. JESUS. Jesus himself brings Hungarians presents on Christmas eve. Hence, Jesus in schools.

On December 14 I had Saturday school. I went to school, and it had been turned into a Christmas market. I bought a million bajillion things that you people can't know about because some of them are Christmas presents. I ate a bunch of food, and it was great. I only had to be there for a few hours. Best (only) working Saturday ever.

This week, Christmas trees were put in our classroom. Also, we have advent wreathes. And every week we light a new advent candle. As a class.

Let's fast-forward to...yesterday. We did our dress rehearsal for the Christmas pageant/party in 3rd grade, so I got to see the Hungarian version of it for the first time. I'm glad I had some sort of warning because...

Thursday night. All of the parents come to watch their kids perform. 3 of my first graders are there/attached to me. We started late because we were waiting for one more kid's father to arrive. I introduced the children, and they did their English play, and they were super cute and amazing. Then the Hungarian play happened. Now, I still don't know Hungarian. So here's what the play looked like to me:

The boys are dressed in sheep skin. One boy has a legitimate shepherd's staff. Two have big sticks. One has half a broomstick with a chain attached to it and tied in a knot at the end. If you're thinking it looks like a weapon, then you're correct. That's exactly what it looked like. They say some things, and sing a song while marching around. They walk over to a little boy sitting at a desk and smoking a pipe. He wakes up from a drunken stupor (seemingly) and gives them wine and salami (Tunde confirmed the boys were, in fact, miming drinking wine). Then they march around some more. They each say a poem/monologue/some slew of words in Hungarian. Then the girls come forward and have words in Hungarian. All these monologue things take about 15 minutes. At the end of it, the mother next to me is crying (not out of pride, because her kid wasn't even speaking). I have no idea what has happened in the play thus far.

Next, a little girl plays on the recorder, and the children all pick up sticks that are painted gold (connections being made in my head). The boys stand across from the girls. One by one the boys take their stick and hit all the girls with it. Then all the girls run at the boys at once and hit them with sticks. Then the boys run at the girls at once and hit them with sticks. Then everyone runs at Tunde and me and hit us with sticks.

Fin.

What.

At the end of the school day today, Tunde told me that when they were hitting each other with sticks, they were telling each other to go get married. Then she wished me happy holidays and told me that she hopes I get married/find a husband/nice boy/something. So that clears up...nothing.

Anyway, after the play I attempted to schmooze with parents, but because I don't speak Hungarian, I talked to like 2 parents but mostly ate food and hung out with the kids. The 3rd grade parents all chipped in to get me a beautiful Hungarian gift basket with things like Tokaji, salami, some chocolate bread thing, marzipan candies, and cherry chocolates. Yum.

Today I started with the 1st graders. Parents were still dropping their kids off when I came in, so they gave me my presents. GET THIS. One of my kids drew a picture that his mom had framed (adorable) and also gave me an ornament and a candle. Then I got a pass for 2 to go on this Imagine Budapest tour that is...something in Hungarian. But they said it starts in April and is really cool. That also came with a box of chocolates. THEN they gave me champagne in a champagne bucket, that I later found out WAS FILLED WITH CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES. WHAT.

When class started we turned off the lights and lit the advent candles. Rea said things, and the kids sang things. Claire played the piano, and it was beautiful. Then Rea called kids up to act out the nativity because that's normal...

Then we sang songs in English. Then I showed them The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (the better cartoon version), which they LOVED. We played some games and I said goodbye.

In 3rd grade we watched Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Tunde gave me a huge box of marzipan chocolates.

AND I LEAVE AT 4:15 AM TO COME BACK TO AMERICA, PEOPLE!!!

Boldog Karácsony! (Merry Christmas!)

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