Flowers and honest attention: what Hungarian mothers want

How Hungarians keep in touch with mums: findings from a nationwide survey
 
Based on a nationally representative survey conducted for Mother’s Day, six out of ten Hungarians talk to their mothers at least once a week. When they can’t meet in person, they most often stay in touch via mobile phone. More than half of these conversations last at least ten minutes, though they usually cover practical matters and less often emotional topics. Nevertheless, experts from the Mélylevegő Group emphasize the importance of deeper conversations beyond everyday logistics. This is where Yettel offers support with its digital Mother’s Day conversation cards.

According to a recent nationwide survey by Yettel[1], one in two Hungarians speak with their mothers several times a week, and four in ten even several times a day. These interactions typically happen by phone (76%) or in person (71%), though half of Gen Z respondents also use chat, and one in five participants (including third of those aged 30-39) often make video calls.

Younger people share their joys  – and their sorrows

Those who communicate by voice or video call typically talk for at least five minutes. In two-thirds of cases, the calls last between 5 and 10 or 10 and 30 minutes, but a quarter of respondents usually talk for over half an hour, and one in ten speak with their mother for more than an hour. Shorter calls (less than 5 minutes) are slightly more common among men than women. Most respondents say they initiate the calls more often than their mothers, and the older they are, the more likely they are to be the caller.

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What do they talk about? Usually, just keeping in touch: checking on their mum’s health, getting updates about relatives, or discussing practical matters like shopping and errands. A third of respondents also call when they’re very happy – especially younger people. A similar patterns holds for sharing bad news: 37% of Gen Z talk to their mum when they are sad, while this is rare among those over 60. Gender also plays a role: a third of women share their grief with their mother, but only a fifth of men do.

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What Hungarian mothers want on Mother's Day

Three-quarters of respondents prefer to meet their mother in person on Mother’s Day. If that’s not possible, a third will call by phone. Gen Z is the most frequent gift-givers: flowers remain the top choice, followed by tangible presents. Homemade and experience-based gifts (such as spending time together), however, are less common. However, mothers who responded to the survey said they would be just as happy with a shared activity as with flowers.
“Your mum is not just a background player in her own life, tirelessly managing yours – she is also a protagonist. If your relationship is limited to practical exchanges – who bought what, tomorrow’s weather, or whether to bring an umbrella – it becomes like a banking relationship: polite, useful, but soulless. Just as you can’t keep a romantic relationship alive by only discussing the weekly menu, it’s important in a parent-child relationship to ask deeper questions – things that you’ve never talked about or that still make her eyes light up. Give her the space to be not only a mother, but also simply a person, someone who deserves your sincere attention in addition to a bouquet of flowers”, said Dorina Pető and Bettina Juhász, psychologists of the Mélylevegő Project.

The questionnaire was also completed by Yettel staff, and their response echoed the nationwide results: mothers value in-person meetings and shared experiences that strengthen emotional bonds. In response, Yettel, in collaboration Mélylevegő Group psychologists, has created digital conversation cards to help spark meaningful conversations. These cards encourage discussions beyond everyday topics with prompts such as: “What are three things you wish I could learn from life?” or “What have you always wanted to try?”. The digital cards will be available in the Yettel app from 30 April.

[1] The research was conducted in April 2025 on a sample of 1,174 respondents using Europion Market Research’s mobile and web platform (https://europion.hu/). The sample is representative of Hungary’s population aged 16 and above by gender, age, education, settlement type and region.