Debrecen Advent 2023

Photo by Lóránt Kiss

Debrecen Advent awaits visitors between the 25th of November and the 23rd of December 2023 throughout the city.

The Christmas fair in front of the Reformed Church of Debrecen and in the city center is an unforgettable spot for those who want to enjoy a festive atmosphere. Visitors can enter a magical Christmas atmosphere with the wonderful buildings of downtown Debrecen in the background. The lights of the promenade, old and new light installations – the sphere, the deer, the sleigh, or the light tree, the Neopac light Christmas tree on the Dósa nádor square and the new surprise installations dressed in lights – as well as the huge pine tree all contribute to let the viewers break away from everyday life and tune in to the upcoming, intimate holiday.

Weekend concerts, fair attractions, children’s programs

Outdoor programs await visitors every weekend. The public can experience more than 120 programs in the city center, while DEMKI and the Debrecen Charity Board await families with musical programs and crafts in the ‘Adventi Kucko’.

Mini-trees decorated with hand-made decorations by kindergarteners will be brought to the city center on the 1st of December, and then between the 2nd and 6th of December, Santa Claus will also appear at Debrecen Advent and welcome the children in the ‘Adventi Kuckó’.

Children’s programs and large-scale Advent concerts are expected at the Kölcsey Center. At Bényi Galery ART SELECTION, end-of-season group exhibition connected with the fair, the public can choose from the paintings, necklaces, and works of applied art of 23 artists.

Candle lighting and the lights of Debrecen

The main attraction of Advent Sundays is the lighting of candles, as these events show the light towards the holidays. On the 3rd of December, the lighting of the first candle will be led from 4:45 pm by a spectacular parade of traditional art groups from the Old Town Hall to the Reformed Church of Debrecen, and then the city center will be lit up with festive lights. The decorative lighting will be visible from the first Sunday of Advent (December 3) until Epiphany (January 6) until 10:30 pm.

Debrecen’s Christmas tree

The 14-meter-tall pine, which will be decorated with 16,500 lights, is expected to arrive at Kossuth Square on the 21st of November, around 10 a.m. The tree was presented to the city by Tünde Mohácsiné Tőkés and his family.

Ice rink and ice disco

Thanks to the support of BMW Group Factory Debrecen, a 750-square-meter ice rink will serve as entertainment for winter sports lovers from the 25th of November to the 7th of January. The rink can be used with a ticket of HUF 1,200, and on school days, students from pre-registered schools can skate for free between 8 am and 2 pm. It is possible to inquire about free dates by e-mail in a message to kozosseg@fonixinfo.hu, indicating the headcount and age. Every Saturday, the DJs welcome visitors to the ice discos with Christmas-themed music, where surprise visual elements can be expected. Until the 7th of January, you can visit the Christmas-decorated and cozy Hütte and warm yourself up, drink tea, hot chocolate, or mulled wine, relax from shopping and looking at the fair.

Community building, sports, and charity

The element of Debrecen Advent promoting a sporty lifestyle and serving noble purposes is the charity Ugly Hoody Run, organized together with Regina Galambos-Parti, head of Bakancslista Hungary. In parallel with the highly successful initiative in Budapest, the Christmas Ronda Hoodie Run will start in Debrecen for the third time on the 9th of December, where charity goes hand in hand with the cloudless atmosphere and the joy of movement. At the sports event, all the participants must do is to get their cutest, ugliest, or funniest Christmas sweater, hat, scarf and bring the gifts for donation. In addition to popularizing community sports, the purpose of the charity run is to make Christmas more beautiful for needy, disadvantaged families and children living in Debrecen and its agglomeration. The organizers deliver the offered donations to the families through the employees of the Debrecen Charity Board. The participants will run through the beautiful Advent fair in the downtown Debrecen, starting from Baltazár Dezső Square. Move, Debrecen! members also join the organization, at the finish line Fruzsi Erdős welcomes the arrivals with Christmas songs.

The faces of the city – who inspire the Debrecen community

During Advent in Debrecen, projected portraits of people from Debrecen or people connected to Debrecen who were nominated by the audience and selected by the jury are displayed on a wall several meters high. We will see the individuals behind the communities of Debrecen, who perhaps have no idea how much influence they have on our lives, our everyday lives, and determine the event or environment that brings us together. From the 2nd of December, every Saturday in Advent between 5 pm and 7 pm, the photos of the 40 inspiring people will return to one of the busiest parts of Debrecen, at the building at 1 Csapó Street.

A fabulous mini city for children

A fairy-tale town is being built – jointly dreamed up with Krones Hungary Kft. – in the area behind ‘Adventi Kuckó’: the gingerbread house, the winter church and the magical world of nutcrackers will amaze children and their parents. You can try out the light railway on the Dósa nádor Square, and the illuminated, baroque merry-go-round of Zoo Debrecen will also be waiting for those interested.

The most beautiful wooden house and the nicest service will get award

The purpose of the competition is for Debrecen Advent to find the most beautifully decorated Advent treehouse and the merchant or caterer who provides the best service, so deserving people can be nominated for audience awards in three categories:

(1) the most beautiful looking catering unit

(2) the best-looking trading unit

(3) the best-serving caterer or merchant.

You can vote online on the Debrecen Advent website by indicating the serial number and category found on the wooden houses from the 25th of November to 13th of December at 12 pm. On the 16th of December, it will be revealed in front of the audience who will win the Debrecen Advent “Most Beautiful Christmas Treehouse”, “Most Beautiful Christmas Hütte” and “Loveliest Christmas Merchant” titles this year.

‘Adventi Kuckó’ welcomes visitors every weekday from 3 pm to 8 pm from the 4th of December to the 22nd of December, in addition to craft activities and music programs organized by DEMKI and the Debrecen Charity Board.

Program:

The 25th of November:

The 26th of November:

The 1st of December:

The 2nd of December:

The 3rd of December:

The 5th of December:

The 7th of December:

The 9th of December:

The 10th of December:

The 11th of December:

The 14th of December:

The 15th of December:

The 16th of December:

The 15th of December:

The 21st of December:

The 22nd of December:

The 23rd of December:

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