In Hungary, Santa doesn't have anything to do with Christmas. He comes on December 6th, and his day is called "Mikulás Nap," or, (St.) Nicholas Day.

On this day, Santa, or  Mikulás bácsi ("Uncle Mikulás"),  makes his rounds among the shops, schools and parades, just like he does in other countries. Children get candy and chocolate in red wrappings.

An older tradition had Mikulás bácsi leaving candy or other small goodies in children's shoes, which the children had set out overnight.  

However, if the children had been bad, or at least very naughty during the year, instead of a present, they would find a lump of coal, or a potato, or a bunch of twigs (like a "switch"), tied together in their shoe, or, they would be warned that the

Krampusz

a kind of mean goblin, would come after them and beat them with a stick !

The Christmas tree is bought a day to a week (or two in some extreme cases) before Christmas eve and stored outside in the cold - all wrapped up, so it will last longer. In some parts of the country people used to hang their trees out of apartment windows, tall buildings, or put them on balconies if they did not have a yard or garden.

One of the largest Christmas-traditions is the "Bethlehem play," which has a great written literature as well. Some days before Christmas, groups of boys go house-to-house with a model of the holy family. They perform a short play about the child Jesus with songs and poems, usually in costumes.  The first written document about the "Betlehemes" groups was dated in 1600s. Some folk and non-profit groups are dedicated to preserving the atmosphere and custom of this tradition.

In Hungary on December 24th (Christmas Eve), everything closes around noon or by 4 PM at the latest. All public transportation stops as well.  People get home by that time, and start putting up the tree (it's rarely done before the 24th!).

So the afternoon and early evening is occupied by decorating the tree. According to Hungarian custom, Christmas tree decorations always include very special holiday candies, wrapped in bright gold, red, or other coloured foil and tied with bows, called
 

Szaloncukor.

These are chocolate on the outside, with marzipan, raspberry, orange  or other flavored jellies inside.

Family members place the presents they got for each other under the tree.

Traditional Hungarian tree lights always included candles and sparklers, although many families have abandoned this custom due to fire hazard concerns. After the tree is lit, and the present are opened, families spend the rest of the evening together.

Traditional Christmas Eve dinner usually called for some sort of fish, dating from the days when Christians abstained from eating meat on Fridays, as well as the eve of certain other holy days, Christmas included. Hungarian Christians often attend midnight mass.

In families that follow the Christian tradition, it is not Santa Claus and his
reindeer who bring the Christmas presents and drop them off
through the chimney overnight, so that children wake up to find them Christmas morning. Rather, it is Baby Jesus - Jézuska -  and the angels who bring not only the tree but also gifts for good boys and girls. Usually, on December 24th, Christmas eve, children are banished  for several hours from the room in which the tree will be put up, and the gifts put under it.  (If children try to peek, they are warned that they will frighten away Baby Jesus and the angels, who will  then fly off quickly, and take all the intended gifts away with them !!!)

Once the tree and gifts are ready, parents ring a little bell to announce that Baby Jesus - Jézuska - and the angels have come!   Children run in excitedly and receive their gifts - and are told, for example, that each gift is from
Mommy's Jesus (Anyuka Jézuskája), or Daddy's  Jesus (Apuka Jézuskája), Grandmother's  Jesus (Nagyanyó Jézuskája), and so on!  

In Hungary, the following two days are national holidays and people
usually spend the first day with their immediate families, having a big festive meal that starts around 2 pm.  The next day is the same, but people usually get together with extended family members or attend Church.