Debrecen4U April 22, 2026

Day of Nurseries Celebrations

The Unified Nursery Institution of the City of Debrecen organised a celebration on 21 April 2026 to mark the Day of Nurseries, complemented by a professional lecture, during which the “For the Nursery Children of Debrecen” Awards were also presented. The event was hosted by the Family and Child Welfare Centre of the City of Debrecen.

The Day of Nurseries was established on the initiative of the Hungarian Association of Nurseries and, since 2010, has been the official celebration of nursery care in Hungary. The country’s first nursery opened in Pest on 21 April 1852.
Deputy Mayor Diána Széles thanked nursery staff for caring for the very young children who represent our future. She noted that this work is becoming increasingly difficult, as the world around us is changing ever more rapidly, and responding appropriately is not easy. As one of the latest attempts to address this, the Deputy Mayor mentioned a pilot programme called “The Power of a Hug”, launched in this academic year through cooperation between the local authority, the Family and Child Welfare Centre of the City of Debrecen, Szoboszlói Street Primary School and Árpád Tóth Grammar School, aimed not at nursery children but at primary and secondary school pupils. Within this programme, sessions focused on developing emotional intelligence are delivered to Debrecen students during lesson time. It has been observed that children’s self-esteem is extremely low. “If children are dissatisfied with their own lives and body image, we should not be surprised that there are also problems within class communities,” emphasised Diána Széles. She added that they would like to introduce “The Power of a Hug” programme in more schools across Debrecen. She also spoke about the crucial role nursery staff play in children’s lives, with the aim of ensuring that children are cared for in a loving environment in Debrecen’s nurseries.
Diána Széles wished those present strength in their work and expressed her hope that they would always remain spiritually resilient, so that they can provide support and a secure background for children and families. Human factors are the most important, she said, and a nursery must be a community of care. In every community, throughout Debrecen, the aim is for the act of a hug to have real power.

Katalin Gyöngyösi, head of the Unified Nursery Institution of the City of Debrecen—which this year earned the Family-Friendly Public Education Institution title founded by the Three Princes, Three Princesses Foundation—spoke in her address, among other things, about what is perhaps one of the greatest pedagogical questions of our time: how human communities will function in a world characterised by enormous technological changes, such as the emergence of humanoid robots or the application of artificial intelligence. For children currently of nursery age, the presence and use of these technologies will be entirely natural in their everyday lives. The next generation will therefore have a great need for humanity, harmony, morality, rituals—in short, emotions. Strengthening these is also the aim of the institution’s new programme, “Singing Institution”, whose motto is: “A story, a song and a drop of art for every day.” Katalin Gyöngyösi also spoke about the importance of raising today’s young children—through creative methods—to become happy, contented, successful and creative individuals. As she pointed out, the most original ideas often come to us not when we deliberately strive for them, but at the most unexpected moments, inspired during creative activities, movement or even rest that seem unrelated to those thoughts. This is why children also need to be relieved of pressure at times, allowed to engage in activities in their own way, and surrounded by artistic values so that their creativity can flow and develop freely.

A particularly intimate moment of the celebration was the presentation of the “For the Nursery Children of Debrecen” Awards. Based on nominations from colleagues, this year the awards were presented to Éva Galla Nagy, head of the Ősz Street member institution; Éva Rózsa Kocsányi, deputy head of the Faraktár Street member institution; Edit Szilágyi Szimáné, early years educator at the Görgey Street member institution; Jánosné Czakó, early years educator at the Károlyi Mihály Street member institution; Emília László Szűcsné, administrative secretary; and Mária Elek Bodnárné, food storekeeper.

As part of the Day of Nurseries in Debrecen, Dr Rita Pécsi Uzsalyné, educational researcher and college professor at Apor Vilmos Catholic College, delivered a professional lecture entitled “Play, Story, Music – A Fundamental Human Need or ‘Just Decoration’?”. To close the event, more than 400 nursery workers present formed a cheerful ad hoc choir and sang a folk song together.

Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu