Debrecen4U
December 3, 2025
Once again, the Memorial Garden has transformed into a Soul Garden for Advent
In the spirit of this idea, last year was the first and exceptional occasion, but now it has become a tradition that the Memorial Garden behind the Great Church will be transformed into an Advent Soul Garden, which will provide opportunities for meetings, reflection, reviving the tradition of the living nativity scene, and, of course, donating.
The opening event of this year’s Advent Soul Garden, realized with the cooperation of the Municipality of Debrecen, the Debrecen Charity Board, the Debrecen-Great Church Reformed Church Parish, and many others, took place on December 2, 2025.
In her welcoming speech, Deputy Mayor Diána Széles said that “In Debrecen, we live in a city where cooperation and collaboration work fantastically. The city’s citizens, economic actors, institutions, and churches all think the same. That love has power. The message of Advent is that we should share love with others and the community. The member organizations and supporters of the Debrecen Charity Board want to show this message in the Advent Soul Garden and that they always think in community. In a community whose strength lies in love and cooperation, and through this, Debrecen can be a caring city.”
According to Ádám Kovács, the head of government relations at EVE Power Hungary Kft., companies and enterprises are characterized not only by economic but also by social responsibility. EVE Power Hungary Kft. has long supported cultural, educational, and sports initiatives, and at this time of year the focus naturally turns to helping those in need. As Ádám Kovács explained, the company did not wish to launch its own campaign, but instead turned to the Debrecen Charity Board—a unique institution in Hungary whose member organizations quietly and steadfastly provide assistance 365 days a year. They know the needs of the local community best, EVE Power Hungary Kft. can be confident that its heartfelt support will reach those who need it most. Kovács emphasized that the company’s aim is to build a long-term partnership with the Debrecen Charity Board in the coming years, ensuring that as many people as possible can benefit from the board’s dedicated member organizations.
Zsolt Tirpák, Chancellor of the Debrecen Vocational Training Center, highlighted that wherever he travels in Hungary, people are impressed by Debrecen’s successes and achievements, often asking about the secret behind the so‑called “Debrecen miracle.” The answer, he explained, lies in cooperation, cohesion, and mutual support—values that shine through in every task. Advent provides the perfect occasion for these principles to be expressed. He emphasized that it is a joy for the Vocational Training Center to see its students contribute to the community through the good service program, a key element of the vocational training strategy. Visitors to the Advent Soul Garden can admire the creations of students and teachers from the construction technology and technical vocational school, the creative technical school, and the Digital Community Creative Workshop. In addition, students from across the Center’s institutions will take part in the implementation of the charity event to be held in the garden in the future.
Mónika Berettyán, PR manager of Baromfiudvar 2002 Kereskedelmi és Szolgáltató Kft., shared the company’s guiding motto with those present: “Together we are the best!” She emphasized that cooperation is not only a defining value within the company but also extends beyond its walls. Baromfiudvar maintains an active partnership with the city of Debrecen and, since its founding, has consistently supported the work of the Debrecen Charity Board.
Dániel Sárosi, music director of the Trans-Tisza Reformed Church District, announced that preparations are underway for an intimate and truly special Advent concert. This large-scale event, now being organized for the sixth time, will bring together the choirs of Debrecen’s Reformed schools and congregations. Audiences can look forward to beloved Christmas songs performed in a soul‑lifting atmosphere, accompanied by a chamber orchestra, two brass quintets, and the magnificent sound of the Great Church’s organ. Admission to the concert is free, and it will take place at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, December 19, 2025, in the Reformed Great Church of Debrecen.
István Oláh, president‑pastor of the Debrecen-Great Church Reformed Parish, expressed his joy that through the Advent Soul Garden, the spirit of Christmas can be experienced not only inside the church but also in its garden. “With the message of love, joy, and peace—values we all deeply need in this season—this garden also carries that message,” he said. He quoted the words of the apostle Paul, “Put on love, because it perfectly unites everything.”
In the Advent Soul Garden, 20 pine trees have been adorned with love by representatives of the Charity Board’s member organizations, symbolizing cooperation and belonging. The pastor also highlighted the biblical symbolism of the Christmas tree: “The pine is evergreen, pointing to eternal life. The ornaments recall the apple, the garlands the serpent, and the star at the top represents the Star of Bethlehem, which guided the wise men to the manger. The light of Christmas symbolizes the light of the world,” he said. According to him, even the decoration of the Christmas tree reflects God’s plan of salvation—that people may work together in love, unite around common goals, realize them for the benefit of others, and live out relationships of love with one another.
Edit Bódor, president of the Debrecen Charity Board, highlighted that visitors to the Advent Soul Garden in the coming month should also look out for the programs of the Debrecen-Great Church Reformed Parish and the Karakter 1517 Bookstore and Café. The “Tiszta Forrás” Embroidery Circle exhibition will soon open at the New Town Hall, while the pottery art of the Fazekas dynasty of Nádudvar is currently on display in the Reformed Great Church. One of the most memorable highlights of the final Advent weekend will be a live nativity scene, performed by around 30 members of the Italian and Spanish Missio ad Gentes community in the Advent Soul Garden.
The Advent Soul Garden was brought to life with the contribution of the “Angyalliget” Foundation; Baromfiudvar 2002 Kft.; Debrecen Charity Board; Debrecen-Great Church Reformed Church Parish; Debrecen SZC Building Technology and Technical Vocational School; Debrecen SZC Creative Technical School; EVE Power Hungary Kft.; Kós Károly Art Vocational Secondary School, Technical School, and Dormitory; József Soltész, managing director of Sofém Kft.; and the Debrecen Gusztáv Bárczi Unified Special Education Methodology Institution, Kindergarten, Primary School, Skills Development School, and Dormitory, associated with the “Tündérszárny” and “Segítő Kezek” Parents’ Club.
The event was attended by the choir of the Primary School of the Reformed College of Debrecen—conducted by Júlia Plangárné Kárándi—and Bence Bakai, a student of the Dóczy Grammar School of the Reformed College of Debrecen.
The Advent Soul Garden can be visited between December 2, 2025, and January 6, 2026, in the Memorial Garden behind the Great Church.
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From families to families: This is the mission of the ‘Add tovább’ (Pass it on) little house
The Debrecen Charity Board has been participating in the city’s Advent programs since its establishment. The cooperation and coordinated activities of its member organizations are exemplary nationwide. The board forms a stable bridge between donors and recipients, so this year it will also launch a coordinated collection during Advent in the “Add tovább! ” house set up in the Memorial Garden.
The hosts of the “Add tovább! ” charity collections are:
Bihar State Caregiver Association
“Cívis” Multisport Sports Association
Debrecen Baptist Church
Debrecen Civil Guard Association for a Civic City
Debrecen Jewish Community Ráchel Women’s Association
EU-Roma National Association
“Forrás” Spiritual Helpers Association
“Forrás” Spiritual Help Center
Children’s Hope Foundation
Hajdú Police Sports Association
Hajdú Special Research and Rescue Association
Archdiocese of Hajdúdorog
“Hajrá Run” Youth, Cultural, and Sports Association
Children Public Benefit Association in Haláp
“Héra” Association
Northern Great Plain Regional Association of the Visually Impaired
Spiritual Strength in Youth, for the Youth Association of Debrecen
“Lépéselőny” Public Benefit Association
Hungarian Maltese Charity Service Association (Debrecen Group)
Hungarian Ecumenical Aid Organization Social and Development Center Debrecen
Hungarian Anti-Cancer League Debrecen Basic Organization and Support Service
Hungarian Reformed Charity Service Public Benefit Foundation
Hungarian Red Cross Hajdú-Bihar County Organization
Hungarian Dorcas Aid Organization
Matura and Natura Foundation
“Mosolyvirág” Large Families Debrecen Association
“Ördög-Papír” for Children Foundation
Refomix Nonprofit Public Benefit Ltd.
Szent Anna Main Parish Caritas Organization Day Care Institution
New Health Foundation
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Recommended programs related to the Advent Soul Garden:
December 7, 2025 – Karakter 1517 Café
3:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m.: CHARACTERISTIC ADVENT AFTERNOONS
“Our values are born from love, close to the ”heart”—conversation and workshop on Black ceramics
Moderator: Erzsébet Hubert, president of the Debrecen and Hajdú-Bihar County Folk Art Association
December 11, 2025 – Karakter 1517 Café
7:00 p.m.: DIXIELAND GOSPEL
December 16, 2025 – Karakter 1517 Café
5:00 p.m.: OUR PATHS—Conversation with bishops about the visit to Rome during the Holy Year
December 16 – Memorial Garden
4:30 p.m.: THE ARRIVAL OF THE BETHLEHEM FLAME
December 21 – Memorial Garden
3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.: LIVE BETHLEHEM—Let’s meet at the manger in the Advent Soul Garden!
Conversation with representatives of Missio ad gentes in Karakter Café
In the manger set up in the Advent Soul Garden (Memorial Garden), the Christmas story will be brought to life with the participation of real characters. Members of the Catholic Missio ad Gentes community in Debrecen will dress up in the clothes of Mary, Joseph, shepherds, Roman soldiers, and angels. The youngest member of the Missio ad Gentes community will “figure” the baby Jesus lying in the manger.
Those who visit, surrounded by Christmas music, can converse with the characters and encounter the animals by the manger, and with these experiences, they can become part of the more than 2000-year-old story that lives in our imagination.
5:00 p.m.: Sharing the Bethlehem flame with the participation of the 43rd Phoenix Scout Group in front of the Great Church
More information about the programs related to the Advent Soul Garden is available on the websites of the Reformed Great Church, the Karakter 1517 Bookstore and Café, and on social media.
Source and photo credit:debrecen.hu
