On this day in 1823, literary giant Ferenc Kölcsey completed the manuscript of his masterpiece, the Hungarian National Anthem. Ever since, 22 January has been the Day of Hungarian Culture, proudly celebrated every year by patriotic Magyars worldwide. A complex impenetrable language, a colourful vocabulary of curse words, a unique sense of humour and immense creativity – many things make up Hungarian culture. Here, helped by a sip or two of pálinka, we suggest our favourites.

One of the most famous war photographers of all time, Robert Capa once said: ‘It is not enough to have talent. You also have to be Hungarian’. Hungarians and their culture are colourful, diverse and certainly quite unique. From numerous inventions to music and photography, Hungarians have contributed enormously to global culture over the years.

Here we focus more on the fun side with a light-hearted list of classic Hungarian concepts.

  • Paprika or fiery condiment Erős Pista go into everything – everything. If not, a touch of sour cream will do.

  • If you meet a bunch of Hungarians, one of them will be called András, Attila, László or István.

  • 30 degrees at the lido or below zero at the Christmas market, lángos it is, end of story. The right way of eating this revered greasy snack is to say, politely, how you can never eat a whole one and then scoff the whole thing in just a few minutes – after you’ve drowned it in sour cream of course.

  • A light-hearted clink of your beer glasses at the pub may result in a growl and a few huffs. It’s a historical thing.

  • Name days are almost as important as birthdays. Forget hers at your peril.

  • Tzping on a Hungarian kezboard becomes a bit difficult as z and y are mixed up.

  • If you are a guest at a Hungarian household, it is completely normal to have a little cheeky welcome drink – a super strong shot of pálinka that burns your inside all the way down – at literally any time of the day.

  • Life is not complete without a chocolate-coated sweet cottage-cheese bar. What?! Yes, we are talking about túró rudi.

  • Casually asking “how are you?” when seeing someone leads to honesty. Back pain, financial problems, new diet tips, it’s all coming right at you.

  • Balaton is like the greatest thing ever and if it is referred to as a sea, just go with it.

  • Daytime drinking has two rules: a fröccs spritzer if it is above 20 degrees, mulled wine if it is below.

  • Just walking home at night in Budapest, you’ll feel like an extra in a Hollywood film.