Schools for Santas fill up in Hungary

Hungary's "first" Christmas - Mikulás - was celebrated across the country December 6 amid signs that holiday traditions remain deeply rooted in Hungary. According to the Hungarian Mikulás Foundation (Magyar Mikulás Alapítvány) website , the traditions of several cultures are found in the Hungarian customs witnessed on Mikulás Day. A typically Hungarian custom is for children to clean their boots and place them on the windowsill on December 5, waiting for Mikulás to fill them with candy and presents by the following morning.

One indication of the enduring appeal of Mikulás is the growing demand for the man himself, or at least people portraying him. Outlets of the Praktiker chain have sold more than 1,500 Mikulás outfits in recent weeks, considerably more than one year ago, reports mfor.hu. Management of the company was surprised by the increased demand. The stores in the chain have sold an average of 100 outfits, which includes a coat, belt, pants, hat and beard.

A manager of Maszka Jelmezkölcsönző és Készítő Kft, a company that offers Mikulás outfits for rent, told mfor.hu that they also noticed an increased demand this year. The fee is between Ft 3,500 and 5,000, and the company has 350 costumes. They offer two different types: "EU Mikulás" with long coat and "US Santa" with short coat and black belt.

If you rent a Mikulás to come to your home, it can cost between Ft 11,000 and Ft 15,000, depending on the number of children to be entertained. A Mikulás party is organized for companies for between Ft 40,000 and Ft 100,000. Mfor.hu found the most expensive Mikulás service at mikulas.at, where a visit from a "unique" Mikulás with "long beard" and four elves is offered for between Ft 105,000 and Ft 145,000.

Meanwhile, the Hungarian Mikulás Foundation is organizing a course for men who would like to be employed as a Mikulás. "The most important factor is that the candidate should believe in Mikulás, and that what he does has meaning, and that they can feel its magic," Etelka Halász, the head of the foundation told fn.hu.

Mikulás candidates spend three to four weekends learning the basics of the profession, during which they are taught child psychology, the history of Mikulás traditions and how to transform oneself into the most genuine possible Mikulás. Successful candidates are usually tall and strongly-built, but it is more important that they can make the audience believe they are the real Mikulás. They cannot have bad posture or dress in a way that reveals their true identity, for example, by allowing their watch or any other jewelry to be visible, Halász explained. Most candidates make the same mistake: they play an old man who cannot wait to sit down, while children expect to see a strong, wise Mikulás. Halász said that young candidates - often not more than 19 years old - are usually more successful at handling difficult situations. "Once we had a Mikulás who was picked on by a group of teenagers, and he couldn't handle the situation, so he dropped his beard and bag and fled," Halász recalled.

After completing the course, would-be Mikuláses first watch an experienced Mikulás during work, after which they are employed in the street or at a mall, where they have to greet children and hand out small presents. Later, they can be employed at kindergarten or school events and finally, at families or companies.

Mikulás is popular among politicians as well, who believe the day of Szent Miklós is for punishing who they think was naughty.

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