Goosebump FestivalLibabőr Fesztivál

The Libabőr Fesztivál (“Goosebump Festival”) is a recently established nationwide celebration of St. Martin’s Day traditions in Hungary. First held in 2023 1, it spans early to mid-November and features dozens of wineries, restaurants, and hospitality venues across the country. Participants enjoy special menus centered around roast goose (“liba”) dishes and the new vintage wine (“újbor”). The festival emphasizes the harvest-era folklore of tasting the first wine of the year in celebration of abundance and health 2.

St. Martin’s Day (November 11) has been marked in Hungarian folklore for centuries with feasting on goose and tasting newly fermented wine. The festivities are rooted in Catholic and agrarian traditions: legend says St. Martin took refuge among geese and shared his cloak with a beggar. Over time, the holiday came to symbolize the end of the agricultural year. In Hungary, special “St. Martin’s goblets” are used to drink the first “újbor” of the season 1, and communal feasts featuring “liba” (fatty goose) are believed to bring good fortune in the coming year.